Wildlife capital status gets boost from council
Dunedin's status as the wildlife capital of New Zealand is more secure thanks to $1.2 million in council backing to expand pest elimination efforts, a leader at Predator Free Dunedin says.
During this week's long-term-plan deliberations, Dunedin city councillors approved 14 funding requests for the next nine years, totalling about $5.7m.
Among the successful requests was Predator Free Dunedin, which will receive $150,000 a year for eight years.
Project lead Rhys Millar said retaining Dunedin's status as "wildlife of capital of New Zealand" required investment and the council's backing was important.
"In these quite uncertain times at the moment in the environmental sector, it provides us with a baseline confidence for the remainder of that long-term plan cycle," he said.
The organisation was close to eliminating possums from the Otago Peninsula and believed there were only three of the pests left.
However, "with predator control, you can't walk away really", he said.
"This funding allows us to maintain those gains and to [get] ready for the next wave of expansion in the next two years."
Predator Free Dunedin's coverage area would expand toward Silver Stream and Silver Peaks.
Tools and technology would also be expanded, Mr Millar said.
"We've got a strong focus on shifting from possums to eliminating stoats — that's quite a new work programme, which will require quite a lot of resourcing."
The organisation would also use the money to leverage more funding from other sources, he said.
While no funding went to the Dunedin Tunnel Trails Trust, councillors agreed to updated the existing memorandum of understanding with the trust so it could implant the next stages of the project.
About $22.4m in funding for the project had been removed from the draft long-term-plan and at hearings earlier this month, trust chairman Brent Irving said the council needed to return management of the project to the community, who would "get on with the job".
Dunedin-based Centre of Digital Excellence received $1.05m across seven years, Startup Dunedin received $900,000 over nine years and the Wildlife Hospital got $300,000 over three years.
Funding over the nine-year period was also granted for:
Dunedin Tracks Network ($50,000 annually), Tomahawk-Smaills Beach Trust ($15,000 annually, inflation adjusted), Shetland Street Community Gardens ($10,000 annually, 2% adjusted), Town Belt Kaitiaki (funding increased to $50,000 annually), Green Island Combined Sports Bodies Inc ($45,000 annually, subject to service level agreement), Sport Otago ($61,000), the Dunedin Youth Council (funding increased to $10,000 annually) and Swim Dunedin (annual funding of $45,000 adjusted to fully cover rising lane fees).
The Otago Nuggets and Southern Hoiho were granted a total of $50,000 over three years, provided the teams could secure a National Basketball League contract.
ruby.shaw@odt.co.nz
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