Wednesday 11 November 2015
Media Enquiry from Guernsey Press:
I was just wondering if I could get a quick comment from you with regards to the Biodiversity Strategy and your reaction to Treasury not supporting the plans.
As minister, how important is it that we have a Biodiversity Strategy?
Are you disappointed Treasury is not supporting it? Can you understand the department's decision not to support it?
Any other comments.
If it is possible to get a comment by end of play today it would be much appreciated.
Environment Department Response:
The Treasury and Resources Department supports the Strategy as stated in Billet XX (page 3071): "(T&R) recognises the fundamental importance that the protection of biodiversity has to the Island's varied natural environment and, in principle, supports the introduction of a Biodiversity Strategy". However they are not prepared to support new funding for it.
The Environment Department fully understands the need to control public expenditure and it was an acknowledgement of this that resulted in requesting the absolute minimum practical level of funding that we believe will be required to implement the Biodiversity Strategy. During our research into comparing funding in other jurisdictions such as Jersey and the Isle of Man we estimated that, to deliver a similar level of service here, funding in the order of £300,000 per annum would be required. It was accepted that this scale of funding was likely to simply be out of the question but that we could achieve a significant amount of progress by asking for a minimum amount and using it in the most effective way possible. This was recognised in the Policy letter (Billet XX p3005):
"Resourcing a Strategy
5.14. It is recognised that in the current financial climate there are limited funds and competing demands. Set against this are the considerable challenges which will need to be faced if Guernsey is to stabilise and reverse the decline in its biodiversity. It is impractical to expect a Strategy to work overnight and it is also unrealistic to seek funding to achieve all objectives in one go. Therefore it is proposed to start implementation with a fixed level of resources. Within this resource cap it will be possible to estimate what can be done and the likely timescales for a deliverable programme of action plans once a prioritised programme of Action Plans is identified . . . "
The £80,000 per annum being asked for would be used, in part, to fund a coordinator to increase resource through the recruitment, training and deployment of volunteers, working with conservation charities as well as the direct delivery of the Strategy. Part of the direct delivery would include the provision of advice and education which, for example, could help boost the visitor economy.
Contact Information:
Andy McCutcheon, Principal Environmental Services Officer
Environment Department
Tel: 717200
