A new $28 million joint venture, Predator Free New Zealand Limited, will identify large-scale pest eradication projects and attract private investment to boost their reach.
The Government's new goal of exterminating every rat, stoat, possum and feral cat from New Zealand by 2050 has been described as a "game-changer".
Prime Minister John Key announced the formal target yesterday, calling it the most ambitious conservation project in the world.
At the heart of the policy is
a new $28 million joint venture, Predator Free New Zealand Limited, which will identify large-scale pest eradication projects and attract private investment to boost their reach.
Sir Rob Fenwick, chairman of the Predator Free New Zealand trust and a leading advocate for pest eradication, said it would allow a military-level response to the problem for the first time. "It's a real game-changer. This fund will drive a more strategic and comprehensive approach to a landscape-scale assault on predators that we haven't seen before."
The policy is largely dependent on private funding, prompting Labour and the Greens to question whether the Government was doing enough.
