Predator Free 2050 Limited on the hunt to fund bold conservation projects
September 12, 2017 12:00 pm
Media Release — 12 September 2017
Starting today (12 September 2018), New Zealand conservation groups committed to broad scale predator eradication are encouraged to lodge an expression of interest for funding and support from Predator Free 2050 Limited.
The organisation – tasked with eradicating possums, rats and stoats from New Zealand by 2050 is seeking Expressions of Interest from regional and local councils, community organisations, mana whenua, businesses, Non-Governmental Organisations and other entities capable of delivering eradication initiatives in line with its 2025 goals.
The 2025 goals include enlarging target predator suppression to an additional one million hectares of mainland New Zealand, eradicating predators from at least 20,000 hectares of mainland New Zealand without the use of fences, eradicating all predators from New Zealand’s island nature reserves and achieving a breakthrough science solution capable of eradicating at least one small mammalian predator from the mainland.
Predator Free 2050 Limited is required to secure matching investment of $2 for every $1 of Crown investment. Accordingly, any proposed landscape scale projects need to be able of demonstrating the ability or potential to provide sufficient funding to meet these financial parameters.
Expressions of interest will need to demonstrate a clear potential for large-scale predator eradication and will be evaluated against 13 criteria. Most notably, projects need to be ambitious in scale, capable of delivering transformational biodiversity gains, align to the Predator Free mission and demonstrate sound management capacity and financials.
Predator Free 2050 Limited CEO, Ed Chignell, says these large-scale projects are critical to driving forward the Predator Free 2050 vision. “These are our pathfinder projects, the proving grounds for innovative new tools and a collaborative partnership approach.
“We’re laying the foundations for the next three decades of Predator Free 2050 operations, working towards achieving our mainland suppression/eradication goals and making inroads towards scientific breakthrough.”
Expressions of interest close on 13 October 2017, followed by shortlisting and requests for full proposals. Funding approvals are slated for mid-February 2018.
Parties interested in lodging an expression of interest can find out more here.