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One of the Conservation Department’s long term Māori staffers is welcoming the appointment of a new director general.
Lou Sanson returns to the department after several years running New Zealand’s Antarctic agency.
Joe Harawira says the former Southland conservator knows the department well.
He must deal with the consequences of it losing $54 million from its budget in the past few years, which led to job losses, especially at management level.
"We’ve tried to retain our troops on the ground, the ringa raupa, because they are important to the infrastructure of the department, they are the ones on the ground who are out there looking after the biodiversity, the bridges, the parks and so on," Mr Harawira says.
He says much of the restructuring has been done, including giving the Maori team much clearer lines of reporting.
Copyright © 2013, UMA Broadcasting Ltd
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