National appeal to help DoC gets underway

The department plans to axe 140 jobs and cut the number of conservancy regions. Photo / Greg Bowker

A national appeal to help a cash strapped government department will get underway today.

Forest and Bird's "Love DoC" day has been set up to show support for the department which is set to receive a number of staff and funding cuts from the Government.

Forest and Bird general manager Mike Britton said the Government doesn't realise the economic effects this will have on the country.

"They want to bring a million Chinese tourists to New Zealand - what are those Chinese tourists coming to see? In most cases they're coming to see our nature, our special places.

"Unless they're managed properly then the whole tourist industry will start to fall over."

Mr Britton said the public can show their support either by sending messages to the department's local centres or by buying goods from the numerous cake stalls outside the centres.

* Join us at 11am for a live chat with Forest and Bird's Mike Britton, who will discuss Love DOC Day and the work that Forest and Bird and DOC do. If you have a question you'd like answered, email them to us here.