Auckland Council Cuts Environment Services Budget

We’re calling on you to make sure that conservation and nature are supported in Auckland Council emergency budget. Feedback closes on 19 June. 

Please let Auckland Council know you support reinstating the Environment Services budgets which council is proposing to cut. Most of you know these are very small sums in the context of the total budget. But they take care of things such as pest control, marine biosecurity, community planting projects, and support for landowners including on Aotea, who want to restore high ecological value areas.

You can have your say in a number of ways – through this form or by emailing Auckland Council with your feedback.  You can also use the hashtag #AKHaveYourSay on social media.

The current proposal more than halves the Environmental Services capital project budget, with a drop from $17 million to $7 million – the highest proportional drop in the council.  This means crucial kauri dieback prevention (upgrades to tracks to prevent disease spread, monitoring, research, compliance staff, and disease control) will not happen this year. 

Ironically the council video shows a visitor on the swingbridge into the head of the large kauri at Glenfern Sanctuary here on Aotea. Support for Glenfern from the council’s Regional Parks team is also cut, meaning no essential maintenance to the historic Glenfern buildings. Other proposals that will reduce environmental spend include reductions in the grants that pay for community trapping, planting and biodiversity education on Aotea.

You can find out more  by reading Section 2 of the full document here.
Please tell Auckland Council you support reinstating the Environmental Services budgets, and that you do not support a reduction in any budgets that help us restore and protect the natural environment on Aotea.  It really does make a difference if you speak up.  An email takes a few minutes and the online form takes about 10 mins to complete.

Thank you for having your say for nature,

Aotea Great Barrier Environmental Trust