The Taxpayers’ Union has revealed through an Official Information Act request that the Department of Conservation (DOC) has spent $411,875 on the endangered southern Powelliphanta augusta snails.

Following the collapse of Solid Energy, DOC took over responsibility for the captive snails, with additional habitat restoration projects now costing more than $1 million.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator Rhys Hurley said:

“These snails have been in captivity since 2006. DOC has killed over 800 by accident, yet they’re still planning to spend millions and another five years till they'll all be fully released.”

“There have been multiple proposals for this programme, but instead DOC has bred over 4,000 snails in fridges in Hokitika and is now figuring out how to slow the breeding down as facilities hit capacity.”

“Taxpayers aren’t opposed to conservation, but the lack of substance in this scheme shows the ridiculousness of the system. It drains DOC funding away from other species, is unaccountable, and refuses to acknowledge success.”

“This is conservation at its most expensive and least effective. It's time to take the snails out of the fridge and make the hard decisions on protecting our native species.”

The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through an Official Information Act response that the Environmental Defence Society (EDS) received $157,000 from the Department of Conservation in the 2023/24 financial year to produce two reports at $560.71 per page.

This follows earlier revelations that payment to the EDS had been made of $377,743 from the Ministry for the Environment, totalling more than half a million dollars in total taxpayer funding to the group since 2023.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator Rhys Hurley said:

“It’s utterly unacceptable that the public are forced to bankroll lobbyists, especially those like the Environmental Defence Society which dedicate their resources to driving up costs to the taxpayer through expensive legal challenges at every turn.”

“DOC’s staff ballooned by 37 percent between 2017 and 2023, and even then they’ve been outsourcing research to activist groups. Why are taxpayers paying twice to get stuck with lobby groups’ own spin?”

“From environmental lobbyists to politically-aligned unions, these groups should have to prove they have widespread public support by raising their own funds rather than relying on handouts. This isn’t environmental stewardship - it’s taxpayer-funded political activism.”

The Taxpayers’ Union is demanding accountability from the Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Te Urewera board following a ruling by the High Court that the burning and removal of the huts in Te Urewera was unlawful.

According to information obtained under the Official Information Act, The Department of Conservation continues to resource the operation of Te Urewera to the tune of around $2.1m a year given to Te Ura Taumata, and also pays over $100,000 annually to the Te Urewera Baord to manage the operation.

Commenting on Te Urewera’s management and operational issues, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“Since Te Urewera was handed over to Ngai Tūhoe nearly a decade ago, taxpayers have coughed up tens of millions of dollars to resource the upkeep and development of the area, yet the governing body has now been found to have failed to adhere to its obligations under the Te Urewera Act, destroyed the majority of critical huts in the area, and has conducted all of its work without an operational plan for the last two years.

“There have already been growing concerns from conservationists over the demise in monitoring of endangered bird species as well as insufficient pest control, but with the governing body now actively disregarding their legal obligations, it’s clear that the current leadership arrangement and operational structure is simply untenable.

“In the first instance, DOC’s director general must be held accountable for what has evidently been an appalling failure to oversee the management of Te Urewera. Additionally, an independent review into Te Urewera’s finances and operations must be conducted to determine whether the current monetary allocation has been spent responsibly and in accordance with legal obligations.

“As it stands taxpayers are essentially being forced to fund an operation with no plan, no checks and balances, and no evidence of success. It is vital that if Te Urewera continues to be resourced by taxpayers, it’s board and operational entity must deliver tangible results and effectively carry out its legal obligations. Currently, to the detriment of taxpayers, it appears to be doing neither.”

Documents we've obtained show that the Department of Conservation has spent over $100,000 to send staff overseas to learn a skill not applicable in New Zealand. 47 staff have traveled to Australia to learn how to conduct controlled burn-offs, despite the practice not being used by DoC.

Included in the document is an email from a DoC official regarding the our enquires which suggests a an ‘excuse’ the Department could use for why staff were going on the trips.

Also released is feedback from staff that went the trips, including the admission by one that the group didn’t “really do much fire stuff”, despite that being the apparent purpose of the trip.

We think these trips were just an excuse for a junket, not training that furthers New Zealand’s conservation. They might as well have learned the didgeridoo. We're calling on the the Minister for Conservation should put an end to this ‘controlled-burning' of taxpayers’ hard earned money.

DoC response to OIA by New Zealand Taxpayers' Union 16 May 2014

DoC response to OIA by New Zealand Taxpayers' Union 18 June 2014