In the gloom following director-general Al Morrison’s job cuts in 2013, the Department of Conservation restructured its operations arm.
Eleven conservancy districts were whittled into six new “conservation delivery” regions, under which the Rēkohu/Wharekauri/Chatham Islands area, comprising 40 scattered islands more than 800km east of Christchurch, was tethered to the department’s (DoC) lower North Island region.
The 2013-2014 annual report of the Chatham Islands Conservation Board said DoC had 14 permanent staff members at its office in Te One, on main Chatham Island, with another staffer based on Pitt Island.
“Volunteers and staff are present on Rangatira (South East Island) and Mangere Island for short periods during the year, undertaking species protection work during the breeding season of endangered bird species and an extensive re-vegetation programme,” the report said.
The Chatham Islands structure, in place for more than a decade, is set to be upended.
On Tuesday, DoC staff were told of a proposed operational restructure of the Chatham Islands team, which would be merged with the Wairarapa district.
The announcement comes amid huge upheaval across the public service, and within DoC itself, which has announced a net reduction of 130 roles (101 of which were vacant) to try and meet the government’s savings target of 6.5 percent of its budget.
It’s set against the background of the department’s financial headaches, including a massive backlog of maintenance for huts, tracks and structures.
Chatham Islands’ remote location “creates challenges”, says Henry Weston, the deputy director-general of regional operations. “Staff feedback has indicated these challenges have a detrimental effect on well-being,” he says.
Now, 11 people, filling 10.5 full-time equivalent jobs, work on the Islands. Under the proposal, there would only be five full-time roles. A 20-strong seasonal team – comprising secondments, contractors, and volunteers – would be stationed there from October to April.
“Predominantly office-based roles would be based off-island as part of the wider district team, enabling the island leadership to more readily and regularly work with national office experts, improving planning and integration of effort.”
Having a bigger summer team will “markedly increase the conservation outcomes delivered, for the same financial investment”, Weston says.
“Budget and savings are not a factor in the change, although the proposed operating model would free up more funding for the delivery of more conservation work on the islands.”
Newsroom asked if there were more cost-saving measures being proposed, including the divestment of property or buildings. The question wasn’t answered directly, but Weston says the department intends to improve working and living conditions for staff.
Chatham Islands Mayor Monique Croon doesn’t know the full details of the DoC proposal but says she’s concerned.
The council is hosting a “stakeholder forum”, she says, and by last night it hadn’t had a chance to speak to Alice Heather, DoC’s lower North Island operations director who told staff of the restructure.
Croon says: “I have spoken briefly to a couple of staff members who have lost their jobs who are both locals and the impact that this has them personally and also the impact on our community.
“The jobs on offer are not suitable for them to apply for, which is a Pitt Island ranger, and a Treaty [of Waitangi] ranger, and a team leader, with an ops manager maybe not based on-island – is my limited understanding of the proposal.”
There’s a lot at stake.
The Chatham Islands Conservation Board’s annual report from 2013-14 said it had the highest level of endemism (species found only in that place) of any biogeographic region in New Zealand.
That is: 41 of the islands’ 465 native plants, 18 of the 73 native birds, and 8.5 percent of the country’s threatened freshwater fish. About 20 percent of the 800 insect species are endemic to the Chathams, the report said.
“A significant number of important habitats have been protected and a significant amount of land has been protected through the covenanting of private land. A key focus of the department’s work in the Chathams is threatened flora and fauna programmes.”
Weston says: “The Chatham Islands are among our most important conservation places, and this work will help us deliver the best outcomes we can for this unique environment.”
The proposal could change after staff consultation, he says.
In rural communities presence is a big part of credibility. FIFO, fly in fly out, will get some jobs done but not embed in the community that nature conservation is a legitimate activity. For New Zealand, nature conservation is an activity essential to our character.