Predator free Southland co-ordinator to leave as funding comes up short

Friday, 9 October 2020

Predator Free Southland co-ordinator Dr Ini Gunn will not continue her role as the project still awaits funding to continue.

A five-year action plan to eradicate predators from mainland Southland may be in jeopardy if it can’t secure another source of funding.

Predator Free Southland co-ordinator Dr Ini Gunn has announced she will not continue in her role as funding for the project has come up short.

She could not confirm how much funding was needed to continue the role but it was within the five-figure mark, Gunn said.

There were funding streams that the project was still looking into, such as the Jobs for Nature/Kaimahi for Nature, but it was unlikely to be announced prior to her one-year contract expiring in two weeks time, she said.

* Maukahuka Pest Free Auckland Island halted until funding is secured

* TRC seeking funding for massive pest management and tree planting expansion

Department of Conservation South Island southern director Aaron Fleming said Predator Free Southland had not being considered for Kaimahi for Nature funding in the initial set-up phases.

However, this did not mean it would not be considered in the future, Fleming said.

The Southern Kaimahi for Nature Alliance was in the process of being established, and would be fully set up in coming weeks, he said.

Once set up, they will be able to start communicating initial decisions, he said.

Environment Southland had started to advertise for the position again, looking for an experienced project manager with remuneration within the range of $75,225 to $84,075.

Environment Southland governance group representative Dave Burgess said the current plan estimates it would require $10 million through a five-year period.

Work was ongoing to source the additional funding through the next few months, Burgess said.

The governance group was confident additional funding could be secured, he said.

If funding could not be found, the governance group would review the programme and decide on how to progress, he said.

Gunn had spent the year completing a five-year action plan for the project which included a large scale project in Awarua.

The project would cover from Sandy Point to Fortrose with Bluff at its cornerstone, Gunn said.

Outside the Awarua area there would be smaller-scale projects in places such as Gore, she said.

Although there were potential opportunities with shovel-ready funding and Jobs for Nature it also took agencies to run them which had taken a hit through Covid-19.

“It's that weird situation we found ourselves between nothing and millions.”

It is the second predator-free programme in Southland that faced funding issues this year after Maukahuka Pest Free Auckland Islands was paused until further funding could be secured.

Department of Conservation predator free programme manager Brent Beaven said the Maukahuka Pest Free Auckland Islands project would be able to picked up in the next two years.

Beaven didn’t think they would lose Gunn completely from the Southland project as she would remain in Southland.

Gunn has a PhD in cellular and molecular biology and spent the past 13 years involved in research projects worldwide including volunteering with the United Nations Environment programme.

Moving forward from her role she would stay in Southland and continue working in conservation.