DoC: Big shift from original goals, visions

It's fair to say that when the Conservation Department was formed in 1987, tasked with integrating conservation management functions, no one envisaged that by 2011 there would be such a huge focus on generating money. But that's the way it is.

When DoC was ordered in the 2009 Budget to slash $54 million from its budgets over four years, new revenue streams became vital. Subsequently, DoC formed a commercial business unit, with parts of its aim to increase revenue through issuing concessions to run businesses on the conservation estate.

DoC currently earns about $13.5 million a year through about 4500 concession-holders, and it considers it can boost this, not only by increasing the number of concession-holders but also by increasing the number of people buying the services of concession-holders, such as on guided walks.

That so much energy and expertise is going into developing public-private partnerships which will see businesses sharing profits with DoC must be cause for concern, given the department's prime role in managing conservation. But with the fiscal squeeze, what options does it have?

And, of course, there are positive spinoffs, as is shown in a new report which studied the benefits of tourism operators who hold concessions to run their businesses in national parks. This calculated that in Tongariro National Park, for instance, concession-holders contribute $30 million of direct turnover for local communities, as well as generating 450 fulltime jobs.

Director-general Al Morrison is frank that DoC is "open to absolutely anything that's good for conservation and good for business". He adds that working more with businesses is partly about capitalising on the understanding that conservation has a greater value than was previously acknowledged.

It is indeed encouraging to learn that businesses now want to work with DoC because they see the benefits of protecting eco-systems.

In the meantime, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Jan Wright is investigating the commercial use of conservation land while at the same time noting that "commercial use of DoC land can generate greatly needed revenue ... it will be a good thing, provided it's done well".

All this all seems a long way from the goals and visions of 1987. And while the DoC budget continues to be squeezed, we are being warned that we are edging closer to a biodiversity crisis which could see mass extinction of native species within our lifetimes.

In a recent speech to Forest and Bird's annual conference, Massey University scientist Mike Joy stated that current conservation funding and strategies - focusing large efforts on a few species such as kiwi or kakapo - mean it will be too late for many species.

In his view, the country is losing its grip on how bad the situation is.

Existing data under-represent the true situation because there is so little money going into research or monitoring the changes, according to Dr Joy.

So, on the one hand, we have DoC hunting for fresh ways to make money and, on the other, there's still not enough for it to properly achieve the job it was set up to do. The only way out is get the Government to recognise how important that job is and to allocate appropriate resources.

Next year marks 25 years since DoC was formed.

With funding issues, yet another restructuring under way (96 jobs to go over the next six months, including 13 from Wanganui) and the prospect of continuing pressure to making savings, the embattled department may not have much to celebrate.

David Scoullar is a keen tramper and conservationist and member of the Te Araroa Whanganui Trust