This year's Conservation budget

conservation dept claim budget not cut, independant expert says it has been cut http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/305139/doc-funding-cut-by-$40m-independent-expert

from http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/80533210/department-of-conservation-funding--why-dont-the-numbers-match-up "Money put aside for conservation in the Budget for 2015/16 was at $472m. That dropped to $430m in the latest budget. The Minister said people have overlooked the fact $20.7m of that "perceived shortfall" was new funding for the Battle for our Birds programme, and another $20m was carried over due to unexpected delays in a number of projects. It would be spent over the coming financial year and would be counted in the 2016/17 final spend. The Department of Conservation (DoC) has also denied funding cuts, and explained some money rolls over (called "expense transfers"). " "Treasury has also pointed out that appropriations for Vote Conservation deal with expenditure as a whole, whereas annual report figures focus on departmental costs. Hence appropriations are far higher than annual report figures." ""We had a situation in this budget where they were making a big song and dance about the commitment to Kiwi Works...that was actually first announced in 2014. And yet if you didn't know that, you would think 'Oh that's nice, that's new money'. But it isn't."" Sounds to me to not be a very good time to be a Tui. Either kind.