Jobs for Nature

The purpose of Jobs for Nature

• Provide up to 11,000 jobs and economic support for people and communities in New Zealand, while ensuring environmental benefits.
• Get money and support as quickly as possible to people and communities to assist the COVID-19 recovery. 

The funds will be used to:

• improve freshwater (for example, fence waterways, water reticulation, and riparian management)
• improve biosecurity (for example, weed and pest control) 
• enhance biodiversity on public and private land (for example, by planting native species).

Jobs for Nature programmes run by MPI

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has funding from the programme for:

• wilding conifer control
• reducing wallaby numbers
• catchment projects
• planting trees

Controlling wilding conifers

The National Wilding Conifer Control Programme aims to contain or eradicate all wilding pine infestations by 2030. Before the programme started in 2016, wilding pines were invading the equivalent of 9 high country stations (90,000 hectares) every year.

Led by Biosecurity New Zealand, the programme is a collaboration between central and local government, landowners, farmers, forestry owners, iwi, researchers, and community trusts.

So far, this programme has covered over 1.5 million hectares throughout the country and protected more than 3 million hectares of New Zealand's most vulnerable landscapes.

Find out about the 2020-2021 work programme

Wilding pines projects give workers a lifeline

An Environment Canterbury video shows how an increase in wilding pines projects is providing a lifeline for individuals affected by the COVID-19 economic fallout.

Watch the video on YouTube

Controlling wallaby numbers

About $27 million has been provided to manage wallabies over the next 4 years.

Through the collective effort of Biosecurity New Zealand (MPI), DOC, regional councils, iwi, Land Information NZ, and farmers we will protect our native ecosystems from invasive wallabies. A joint governance group will agree priority areas for operational work. Regional councils are responsible for delivering and contracting the operational work in the agreed priority areas.

Find out more about the Wallaby Control Programme

Catchment group projects

The Ministry for Primary Industries has allocated $10 million to catchment group projects as part of the Jobs for Nature programme.

The projects are located in the Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatū, Canterbury and Otago regions.

They will support:

• sheep and beef farmers
• dairy farmers
• growers
• some Māori landowners.

They will help with land restoration, wetland protection, restoration of waterways, planting, pest-control, and farm environment plans.

Find out more about the catchment projects

Government ministers issued a media release on 17 July 2020 about the projects.

Catchment restoration investment will drive clean water and more jobs (media release)

Other planting and catchment projects

We have allocated $35 million from the One Billion Trees Fund for large-scale planting and catchment initiatives. This funding will provide jobs in communities for the Jobs for Nature Programme.

We are working with other government agencies to identify and progress projects that will:

• provide employment such as environmental planting at scale
• support economic recovery and growth such as high-value exotic and native plantations
• deliver environmental benefits.

About the One Billion Trees Programme