Otago regional councillors will tomorrow consider a staff proposal to continue the Otago Regional Council work programme on the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme and the Tipu Mātoro National Wallaby Eradication Programme from the beginning of this financial year on July 1, "even if there is a delay in the signing of the agreements with MPI".
"For the last two years there has been a delay in MPI issuing the funding agreements for the Wilding Conifer Programme and Tipu Mātoro Wallaby Programme to council for signing," a council staff report said.
"This delay has created issues for delivery of both national programmes.
"To address this delay, it is proposed that council starts the delivery of works for the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme and the Tipu Mātoro Wallaby Programme from July 1, 2025, even if the goods and services agreements are not yet signed.
"The council biosecurity budget can carry the financial risk, until signed agreements are received, to ensure continuity and effective delivery of the programmes."
The report said from 2016 to last year the national programme had spent $140m in wilding pine control nationally.
From July 1, last year, funding of $10m a year had been committed by MPI to the national programme.
The council had entered two previous funding agreements on pine control, the report said.
One was from 2020 to 2024 and a second one was for the 2024-25 financial year, which expired at the end of this month.
There had been discussion with Biosecurity New Zealand staff and there was an understanding there would be a new five-year deal with variations for annual funding on offer.
However, MPI had not yet provided the council with a draft agreement to replace the agreement that was expiring, the report said.
Likewise, after the council established an Otago Wallaby Programme following increased sightings of the pests in 2016, the Tipu Mātoro National Wallaby Eradication Programme was set up in 2020.
The national programme was given $27m over the next four years for control of populations outside of containment areas, such as the one in South Canterbury.
Again, the council signed a 2020-24 four-year deal and a subsequent one-year deal that was due to expire at the end of this month, the report said.
In the case of wallaby control, MPI had provided a draft agreement, the report said.
Like the expected wilding control agreement, it was a five-year deal with variable annual funding, it said.
The report said council staff had informed MPI officials the delays were having an effect on the council’s processes. Staff would continue to argue funding delays should be "reduced" to make sure the programmes were delivered "as efficient and effective as possible".
In order to get the work started, it was proposed that the council get to work on the control programmes with the understanding the funding agreements would arrive and chief executive Richard Saunders would sign them on the council’s behalf if there were no surprises.
"It is proposed that the work programmes may commence prior to signed funding agreements with MPI, if these are not provided early enough in the financial year," the report said.
"Funding is highly likely to still be provided by the government, there will just be a delay due to how their systems work."
For wilding pine work, it was expected the council’s obligations would be the same as last year and $1.07m would be received from MPI.
The council was expecting $950,000 for wallaby work, the report said.
Biosecurity New Zealand pest management director John Walsh told the Otago Daily Times yesterday the funding was secure.
"Biosecurity New Zealand recognises that a delay to release funding has caused some issues for the council.
However, there has been no reduction in funding available and we’ve been working collaboratively with the council to support the delivery of these programmes," he said.
