One Year in Government: Jenny Marcroft

Jenny Marcroft - One Year in Government

Posted on 26 October, 2018

New Zealand First is a party that understands just how much Kiwis value New Zealand’s natural environment. We love our outdoor culture and understand how important it is to make long-term plans to ensure our natural spaces are protected for future generations.

Minimising the spread of Kauri dieback has been a core focus in my role as Conservation and Environment Spokesperson. The Kauri is an iconic New Zealand native that we need to preserve for future generations. The Department of Conservation has rolled out a programme which includes innovative cleaning stations on certain high-risk tracks, as well as closing off a number of tracks for the long-term good of the Kauri population. We’re also fast-tracking the National Pest Management Plan for Kauri dieback to control the disease effectively. We have worked at educating the public about our unique landscape and the risk the disease poses without public support to fight it.

Our Coalition Agreement committed to significantly increasing conservation funding and to increase support for National Science Challenges for research into countering diseases like Kauri dieback and Myrtle rust. Budget 2018 provided the largest increase in DOC’s budget since 2002, delivering on our promise and demonstrating just how central this issue is to the Government’s priorities.

With increased funding we can try and counter existing biosecurity threats and prevent other incursions in the future. This Government is working to fix the failures of the previous Government that contributed to these pressures on our environment.

On our anniversary of being one year in government, I am proud of the contribution that New Zealand First has made. We are stepping up efforts to protect our environment and create a sustainable future for New Zealand. I feel incredibly fortunate to be a part of such an effective team.