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Conservation Minister Maggie Barry today announced a new Yealands Family Wines partnership with the Department of Conservation that will provide more than $100,000 over three years for conservation initiatives on and around the Queen Charlotte Track in the Marlborough Sounds.

“Winemaker Peter Yealands is renowned as a leader in sustainable wine production and his company’s values of environmental sustainability are reflected in its significant contribution to conservation on the Queen Charlotte Track and in Queen Charlotte Sound,” says Ms Barry.

Associate Minister of Conservation, Hon Nicky Wagner today encouraged New Zealanders passionate about conservation to seek nomination for conservation boards, before nominations close on 20 January.

“Kiwis love to get out and about during the summer months. As well as enjoying our magnificent country, we are also passionate about looking after it,” Ms Wagner says.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry today welcomed the opening of Rangihoua Heritage Park in Northland as a special cultural and historical asset to be enjoyed by all New Zealanders.

The 46 hectare park, near Kerikeri, was opened to the public today by the Governor-General, Lieutenant General The Right Honourable Sir Jerry Mateparae.  

The park is the result of eight years of collaboration between the Marsden Cross Trust Board, the Anglican Church, Northland Iwi Ngati Torehina / Ngapuhi and the Department of Conservation.

Associate Conservation Minister Hon Peter Dunne today congratulates the Game Animal Council and Te Urewera Board for their hard work to ensure access to the land previously known as Te Urewera National Park.

The Te Urewera Board instigated a review of access to and management of the land earlier this year temporarily preventing access for hunters. The Game Animal Council was the voice for hunters in this review and this positive result shows how important the Council is” said Mr Dunne.

A new joint strategy to tackle kauri dieback has been welcomed by Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry.

“Kauri dieback is a serious disease which needs a coordinated effort to tackle it. Therefore it’s great to see the Ministry for Primary Industries, Department of Conservation, Auckland Council, Northland Regional Council, Waikato Regional Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council and tāngata whenua have developed this new strategy,” says Mr Guy.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has welcomed an innovative partnership to dramatically transform the way invasive predators are managed on mainland New Zealand.

The NEXT Foundation has partnered with philanthropists Gareth Morgan and Sam Morgan, and the Department of Conservation, to set up the Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP) project. All parties are contributing funding to the venture, with DOC providing $500,000 per year for an initial three years.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry today officially opened a “boot camp” for whio at the Tongariro National Trout Centre near Turangi.

The release of the first ducklings into the new hardening facility, or “boot camp”, marks a major step forward in the battle to save the endangered whio, or blue duck. The facility allows the birds to gain fitness and readiness before being released on their own into the wild.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has presented Clive Paton of Martinborough with the 2014 Loder Cup at a ceremony today, for his significant contribution to habitat restoration in New Zealand.

“Clive Paton is a remarkable individual and very deserving of being this year’s Loder Cup recipient. He is an inspirational example of somebody with drive, energy and a vision, who has woven conservation into his life,” says Ms Barry.

The Government has today accepted Solid Energy’s decision not to pursue the Pike River drift re-entry project and committed to working with the Pike River families on next steps for the Pike River site, says Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges and Acting Conservation Minister for issues relating to Pike River, Nick Smith.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has cast her vote for the little blue penguin in Forest & Bird’s Seabird of the Year 2014.

“All of our marvellous seabirds deserve a vote but I’ve chosen to back the little blue. Although it’s the most common penguin around our coastlines, the species is in gradual decline,” says Ms Barry.

This year the annual poll to select New Zealand’s favourite bird is focusing on seabirds. Nearly half of the species that breed in New Zealand are in danger of becoming extinct.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has congratulated the winners of the inaugural Conservation Innovation Awards.

The World Wildlife Fund Conservation Innovation Awards were presented at a ceremony in Wellington last night. The awards recognise innovative approaches to conservation issues.

Ms Barry presented the inaugural award to inventor Gian Badraun and Microsystems Research for their product ‘Trap Minder’, an early response system for monitoring predator traps and bait stations.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has welcomed the start of Conservation Week, which this year has a theme of “Discover the world where you live.”

Conservation Week 2014 runs until 9^th November. There are more than 150 events planned nationwide, ranging from beach clean ups and special guided night walks, to training dogs to stay away from kiwi and native snail monitoring.

Many of the events are designed to be opportunities for people to take a behind-the-scenes look at projects in their local area and to learn more about conservation.

Associate Conservation Minister Peter Dunne welcomes today’s joint announcement by the Game Animal Council and the Te Urewera Trust Board regarding access to the land previously known as Te Urewera National Park.

Last year’s Deed of Settlement between the Crown and Ngai Tuhoe created a new legal identity for Te Urewera and the land is now co-governed by Crown and Tuhoe representatives, the Te Urewera Trust Board. This was given effect by the Te Urewera Act 2014 and creates a framework that has no precedent in New Zealand.