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Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry has announced the appointment of four new members to the Heritage New Zealand Board and to the Māori Heritage Council.

“The new members of the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Board are Bryce Barnett, Chris Cochran, Kim Ngārimu and David Nicoll and the new members of the Māori Heritage Council are Chris Cochran, Rebecca (Liz) Mellish and Paul White,” Ms Barry says.

A $3.4 million investment into the Taranaki Crossing is part of the Government’s plan to boost growth in Taranaki, Economic Development Minister Simon Bridges and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry say.

The investment will over time form part of Taranaki’s Economic Action Plan as part of the Government’s Regional Growth Programme.

This week, Minister Bridges welcomed the launch of Make Way for Taranaki. The project, led by the region, will prepare an economic strategy and plan of action for Taranaki for the next 10 years.

The Outdoor Recreation Consortium, which has been lovingly restoring and maintaining huts and tracks in the remote backcountry, is being given certainty of funding for the next two years.

The Minister of Conservation Maggie Barry has announced that the Consortium, led by Federated Mountain Clubs, New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association and Trail Fund New Zealand, will be granted $350,000 a year for the next two years from the DOC Community Fund.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says DOC is fully able to do its job of protecting precious native species while also managing the increasing number of tourists coming to New Zealand.

In the past week, Minister Barry has announced $76m for DOC to manage the growing number of visitors on public conservation land, $21.3m for Battle For Our Birds, $2.8m for a sea lion threat management plan and has released the first ever Threatened Species Strategy.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says the fourth round of a multi-million-dollar fund to support community conservation projects opens for applications today.

“The DOC Community Fund was set up three years ago to distribute $26 million over four years and it continues to make a big difference for many community groups who would have struggled to do their great work without some timely financial help,” Ms Barry says.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says DOC will fight this year’s beech forest mast year increase in rat and stoat numbers with a $21.3 million war chest from Budget 2017 for the Battle for our Birds control campaign.

“I can confirm there will be a widespread forest seeding, or mast, once again this year that will trigger a big increase in vermin,” Ms Barry says. “The mast event will affect much of the North Island, the northern South Island and parts of western Otago.

Budget 2017 will see $303.9 million allocated to support the continuation of the New Zealand screen industry production grants, both globally and domestically, say Economic Development Minister Simon Bridges and Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry.

This includes $222 million over four years and $18 million in 2016/17 for the International Screen Production Grant to bring international productions to New Zealand.

Up to $63.9 million over four years remains available to ensure the domestic component of the grant continues.

The Government will invest $76 million through Budget 2017 on new and upgraded tourism infrastructure for the Department of Conservation as part of a $178 million tourism infrastructure package, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

“The new funding will allow DOC to better manage the impact of visitor growth, while also protecting our biodiversity and threatened species,” Ms Barry says.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has issued a “call to action” for the nation to get behind efforts to protect New Zealand’s threatened native plants and animals.

Minister Barry launched the Department of Conservation’s draft Threatened Species Strategy at the Threatened Species Summit in Wellington this morning.

“Our unique plants and animals are found nowhere else on earth and help to define who we are as New Zealanders, adding immeasurable value to our culture, our identity and our landscapes,” Minister Barry says.

The Department of Conservation and Botanic Gardens in New Zealand are joining forces to protect endangered native plant species from diseases such as Myrtle Rust.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding today with Botanic Gardens Australia and New Zealand Incorporated (BGANZ) at the Threatened Species Summit at Te Papa. 

The Government is to invest $2.8 million over the next four years on a new strategy to manage threats to New Zealand sea lions.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry have today announced a significant funding increase to ensure a comprehensive New Zealand Sea Lion Threat Management Plan at the Threatened Species Summit in Wellington.

Ten senior students will get the opportunity to join the 100th anniversary commemorations of the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium later this year, as part of a competition for schools and kura, Education Minister Nikki Kaye and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Maggie Barry announced today.

“The national competition, for senior students aged 16 to 19, has been organised by the Ministry of Education with partners and sponsors the Fields of Remembrance Trust and the Passchendaele Society,” says Ms Kaye.

Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry has announced a $40,000 cash contribution along with DOC planting and landscaping to upgrade the site of the Tangiwai Memorial in the central North Island.

Ms Barry today took part in the unveiling of a new memorial yesterday to mark the courage and sacrifice of train driver Charles Parker and fireman Lance Redman who helped save the lives of 134 people when the Wellington to Auckland night express plunged in to the swollen Whangaehu River on Christmas Eve 1953.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry say wilding pines control work has nearly reached its first year target of a million hectares.

“20 per cent of New Zealand will be covered in unwanted wilding conifers within 20 years if their spread isn't stopped. They already cover more than 1.8 million hectares of New Zealand and until now have been spreading at about 5 per cent a year,” Mr Guy says.

Entries to the 27th annual Green Ribbon Awards are set to close next Wednesday and all unsung environment and conservation heroes are being encouraged to step forward.

“We’ve had some fantastic entries so far. It’s inspiring to hear so many exceptional stories of environment and conservation initiatives being undertaken across the country,” Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

The Green Ribbon Awards are held annually to recognise outstanding contributions by individuals, communities and organisations to protect and manage the environment.

A biosecurity response is underway after the detection of myrtle rust on mainland New Zealand for the first time, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry have announced today.

Myrtle rust is a fungal disease which can seriously damage various species of native and introduced plants in the myrtle family, including pohutukawa, rata, manuka, gum, bottlebrush and feijoa.

Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry has announced the appointment of Michael Moynahan as the new chair of Creative New Zealand.

“Michael has a long association with literature throughout his 25 year career in publishing including as CEO of Harper Collins ANZ (Australia New Zealand and India), CEO of Random House India and Chair of Random House New Zealand.  He also helped to develop the Auckland Readers and Writers Festival and was previously CNZ’s deputy chair’” Ms Barry says.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry and Associate Conservation Minister Nicky Wagner have announced a major upgrade and extension to the trap network in Canterbury to protect the critically endangered orange-fronted parakeet.

“This bird is the rarest of our five parakeet species, with the population between 200 and 400, so we installed 500 self-resetting traps in Lake Sumner Forest Park last week as part of DOC’s Battle for our Birds programme,” Ms Barry says.

The history of the 28th Māori Battalion’s D Company will be documented by Harawira Craig Pearless, Education Minister Hekia Parata and Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry have announced.

Ms Parata, who is also the Chair of the Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board, says the A, B, and D companies’ histories are being commissioned to complement Ngā Tama Toa, the C Company history published in 2008.

Sport and Recreation Minister Jonathan Coleman and Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry have today launched the Rugby 2017 Festival.

“Rugby 2017 Festival is a program of engaging activities for fans that will run alongside the DHL New Zealand Lions Series in June and July,” says Dr Coleman.

“The Festival will provide a chance for communities and fans to enjoy the series which is a unique occasion to enjoy and celebrate rugby and reinforce our ability to host major events and showcase New Zealand to the world.

Sport and Recreation Minister Jonathan Coleman and Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry have acknowledged the generosity of sporting legend Sir Peter Snell in gifting medals and memorabilia to the nation.

“Sir Peter stands out as the first New Zealander to win and defend multiple Olympic medals. These and many other accomplishments give him a significant place in our sporting history,” says Dr Coleman.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says 11 of New Zealand’s rarest kiwi have been returned home to the Haast Kiwi Sanctuary today.

“These young tokoeka kiwi were removed from Haast before they hatched and taken to the West Coast Wildlife Centre. The young chicks were then moved to Orokonui Ecosanctuary or Willowbank Wildlife Sanctuary to learn to forage before being moved to Predator Free Rona Island,” Ms Barry says.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has welcomed the release of 36 North Island Robin onto Mount Taranaki today.

“The release heralds the return of a species not seen or heard on the Mounga for more than 110 years and is the first of many species to be reintroduced there,” Ms Barry says.

“Local schools and businesses have been farming mealworms to feed to the robin  to encourage them to stay in the protected zone and it’s heartening to see the support the project is getting.”

Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry has congratulated three New Zealand artists whose work will be exhibited at documenta -  breaking new ground  for New Zealand art at one of the world’s most highly regarded contemporary art exhibitions.

“Held just once in every five years, it’s been a long term dream to see New Zealand art taking its place at documenta.  Works by Nathan Pohio, Mata Aho Collective and the late Ralph Hotere will be on show in Kassel, Germany and Athens, Greece this year,” Ms Barry says.