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More than $1 million in new funding will be committed to the battle against the spread of wilding conifers in Queenstown and Central Otago, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has announced.

“The landscape of Central Otago is justifiably world-famous, but it is threatened by rapidly spreading wilding conifers which cloak landscapes in trees that aren’t supposed to be there,” Ms Barry says.

“These trees suck up priceless water, smother habitat for native plants and animals, and are advancing at a rate of five per cent a year.”

A new strategy for tackling wilding conifers in the Mackenzie Basin has been announced today by Conservation Ministers Maggie Barry and Nicky Wagner.

“Currently, wilding conifers impact on almost a quarter of land in the Mackenzie Basin, and without further control they will spread and take over large areas of farm and conservation land,” Ms Barry says.

“Wilding conifers are a major threat to our ecosystems, land and farms. These invasive self-sown trees spread fast and are very hard to eliminate once established.

The Government will commit $180,000 towards urgent conservation work on Sir Ed Hillary’s historic hut at Scott Base in Antarctica, Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry has announced.

Ms Barry visited the hut and made the announcement in person during her visit to Antarctica this week.

“This funding will allow the Antarctic Heritage Trust to complete vital restoration work on the hut in time for its 60th anniversary in eight weeks,” Ms Barry says.

Whanganui’s Sarjeant Gallery and Museum will receive $10.4 million in funding for redevelopment work, Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry has announced.

“Both these important institutions will be safeguarded well into the future through this major backing from the Government’s Regional Culture & Heritage Fund,” Ms Barry says.

The invasive pest great white butterfly has been eradicated from New Zealand in a world-first achievement, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry say.

“This is the first eradication of an unwanted butterfly population in the world and is another impressive example of New Zealand’s innovation and skill in removing pests,” Ms Barry says.

Great white butterflies posed a major threat to native plant species and primary sector economy.

Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry will travel to Antarctica tomorrow to visit Scott Base and the historic explorer’s huts in the Ross Dependency.

Ms Barry travels as a guest of the Antarctic Heritage Trust and will be accompanied by chair Mark Stewart, executive director Nigel Watson and Paul James, chief executive of the Ministry for Culture & Heritage.

The effort to stop invasive wilding conifers from choking the Kaimanawa ranges has received a major funding boost, Land Information Minister Louise Upston and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry have announced.

“The Government is investing an additional $538,000 in control work in the Kaimanawa ranges this year, as part of the $16m it is investing nationally to control wilding conifers over the next four years,” Ms Upston says. 

Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry has welcomed the choice of design for the French memorial at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington.

“On Armistice Day, it’s fitting the chosen design has been unveiled,” Ms Barry says.

“The memorial, Le Calligramme, was designed by the award-winning Auckland firm Patterson Associates and takes inspiration from the work of French poet Guillaume Apollinaire.

Strength in New Zealand’s music industry has been welcomed by Broadcasting Minister Amy Adams and Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry.

PricewaterhouseCoopers’ New Zealand Music Industry Economic Report 2015 report found that the direct contribution to the economy was $245 million, up from $213 million in 2014.

“It’s incredibly encouraging to see such a positive year for the New Zealand music industry, with four out of five market segments recording increased growth rates,” says Ms Adams.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has congratulated the winners of this year’s Conservation Innovation Awards, to be presented in Wellington tonight.

An app to identify kauri dieback, a bird location drone and a water monitoring device are the latest winners of WWF-New Zealand awards, now in their third year.

“These awards celebrate exciting developments in conservation by creative people dedicated to the cause of protecting our nature,” Ms Barry says.

The fight against wilding conifers in two iconic high country areas of the South Island has received a major funding boost, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry have announced.

Work to control the spread of wildings in the Molesworth area of Marlborough and the Amuri block in North Canterbury will receive an additional $730,000 in Crown funding from Budget 2016.

The future of the historic Muka Studio press has been safeguarded thanks to an $110,000 Government grant for the Eastern Southland Gallery in Gore, Arts, Culture & Heritage Minister Maggie Barry has announced.

Used to produce works by Toulouse Lautrec and Pablo Picasso, the giant 19th century lithographic press was brought to New Zealand by printmakers Frans Baetens and Magda van Gils, founders of Auckland’s influential Muka Studio, in 1984.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says the official launch of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) initiative in New Zealand adds impetus to efforts to protect the nation’s native forest.

Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy and Ms Barry celebrated the registration of the first QCC covenant established in New Zealand at Mt Lyford Lodge in Canterbury today.

In partnership with the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust, farmers Sue and Peter Turnbull have covenanted 392 hectares of high-value land at Mt Terako, in the Seaward Kaikoura range.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has welcomed the second reading of a bill to modernise and strengthen DOC rangers’ ability to protect native wildlife from poaching and smuggling.

The Wildlife (Powers) Amendment Bill passed its second reading in Parliament this morning.

Two community trusts working to protect Great Barrier Island’s nature from predators and weeds have received a $108,000 funding boost, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has announced.

On a visit to the Glenfern Sanctuary on the island today Ms Barry announced the Kotuku Peninsula and Windy Hill Rosalie Bay Catchment Trusts will be the first groups to benefit from this year’s $4.5 million round of DOC Community Fund grants.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has officially opened the new DOC base on Great Barrier Island, rebuilt and redeveloped following damage in the June 2014 cyclone.

“The base at Okiwi is a modern, fit-for purpose facility which will mean DOC staff have the support they need to maintain Great Barrier’s unique environment and wilderness experiences,” Ms Barry says.

In total redevelopment and expansion of the Okiwi base has cost $1.5 million, with construction completed in August.

Whakatane’s Museum and Research Centre has received a $1.5m Government grant for its major redevelopment project, Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry announced today.

“I’m pleased to announce this major grant from the Regional Culture & Heritage Fund which will enable the Museum to display more of its impressive collections, redevelop and earthquake strengthen its building,” Ms Barry says.

A new estimate of Māui dolphin numbers is encouraging for the future of the species, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry say.

The preliminary results of a comprehensive scientific survey carried out over the last two summers has estimated the population of the critically endangered dolphin at approximately 63 adults, with 95% confidence there are between 57 and 75.

This represents an increase from a 2010-11 survey which estimated the number of adults at 55, with 95% confidence there were between 48 and 69.

Four striking designs for the French memorial at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington go on public display tonight, Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry says.

The designs, selected from a field of 43 entries, will be on show in the foyer of the Great War Exhibition in the Dominion Museum Building until November 20.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has congratulated DOC staff involved in the successful eradication of mice from Maud Island in the Cook Strait.

“It’s now two years since a mouse was found on Maud Island and we’re able to declare it a pest-free sanctuary, as it was from the 1970s until 2013,” Ms Barry says.

Mice were discovered on the island in 2013. DOC workers carried out an eradication operation with brodifacoum poison over the following winter.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has encouraged New Zealanders to get outside and enjoy our special places this Mental Health Awareness Week.

“The theme of Mental Health Awareness Week this year is Connect with Nature for health and wellbeing, and there’s nowhere better to do that than on our conservation lands,” Ms Barry says.

Through its Healthy Nature, Healthy People programme DOC is working with the Mental Health Foundation to encourage people to spend more time in nature.

Restoration of the Nelson School of Music’s 1901 auditorium will receive a grant of $1.5 million, Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry has announced.

“I’m delighted this local landmark and historic building, which has been closed due to earthquake risk since 2013, is the first in the country to benefit from the newly reconfigured Regional Culture and Heritage Fund,” Ms Barry says.

A new plan to raise wild kiwi numbers to more than 100,000 by 2030 has been released today by Conservation Minister Maggie Barry.

The draft Kiwi Recovery Plan 2017-2027 will be open for feedback from iwi partners and other stakeholders, including conservation groups, and sets a clear path forward for the conservation of New Zealand’s national bird.

“We are committed to delivering this ambitious and forward-thinking new strategy as part of the Government’s $11.2 million Budget 2015 investment in kiwi conservation,” Ms Barry says.

Seniors Minister Maggie Barry has marked the UN’s International Day of Older Persons with the release of a newly updated Guide for Carers – He Aratohu mä ngä Kaitiaki.

“The theme of this year’s International Day is taking a stand against ageism, something all New Zealanders can do by recognising the important role seniors have in our society and treating them with the respect and dignity they deserve,” Ms Barry says.