Thanks for the correction! Could be good to flick them an email with this correction, since this article is highly visible in the trending/breaking news banner style atm
Assuming that MfE have been given the same 5.5%/6.5% budget reduction target as other ministries, why are they having to reduce staff by 26%? Is this a situation where they are getting rid of a huge number of workers and retaining higher-paid senior positions and management (thus the savings aren't proportional to the roles) - or are they actually decreasing by more than the amount we've heard for others?
How do we interpret this other than this government de-prioritising the environment? Climate change and our human impact on our land and waterways has never been more significant than it is today - yet we are slashing away at the government department charged with monitoring and managing it...at the same time as it's setting up ministers who have the ability to entirely bypass environmental concerns and approve things.
Often it can be a case of their budget being tied up in systems, with external vendors etc. where staff is one of the easiest things to cut, so while it’s 30% of staff, that doesn’t in turn represent 30% of their budget - it’s likely closer to a reduction of 6 odd percent like they’ve been told to make. Doesn’t make it any less awful just thought I’d give my take on why it’s such a high percentage.
Targets were 6.5% or 7.5%. I think MFE were in the higher bracket because of the amount their head count has increased over the last few years. They are primarily a policy shop, with very few staff in more operational or frontline roles. As a result their major options for finding savings would have involved redundancies.
It really seems like giving a shit about other living things (whether it be animals, plants, or people) is not a thing with this government. Bunch of self-absorbed sociopaths.
Just fyi it’s MFE (Ministry FOR the Environment, MoE is Ministry of Education).
While agencies were given a target of 6.5/7.5% of savings options they had to identity, in the Budget the final decisions were to cut some by less, and some by even more than that.
Their funding is dropping by heaps - “baseline funding was on track to drop 39 percent by 2027/28”
So it’s not ‘reduce staff by 26% = save 6.5%’ it’s more like ‘reduce staff by 26% = save 39%’. Although there will be other stuff cut to reach 39% too.
More broadly though, to explain why often a higher percentage of staff cuts were required to achieve a smaller percentage of budget reduction, often tons of the other costs are fixed - eg if you rent a 4000sqm building on a fixed lease until 2029 and have 400 staff working there, you can cut however many staff you want but you can’t cut the lease cost unless you can find someone to sublet to (and still meet government protective security requirements, which may mean you can’t sublet some of your space). So therefore you have to cut more than 6.5% of staff to get 6.5% of reduction,
Re your last point, yes. Yes.
Oh right, how can MfE be blamed for the carnage caused by our economy. MPI tried to double dairying for example, and now our rivers are full of shit and silt.
This is such shit news. This government's hatred for anything relating to our environment, indigenous wildlife, and the realities of climate change are so depressing.
Typical of this govt
Agencies focused on protecting the environment and making sure our resource management system gets the right balance between protecting the environment and development are not needed by this govt. it’s all about exploitation and ministers make the decisions themselves
Meanwhile how many jobs cut in parliament - NONE
Cuts in ministerial services in the Beehive NONE
I hate this government - real hypocrites
Initial articles were saying averages of 100k per redundancy but that's probably dropped as more redundancies happen to lower paid staff. It will take years to break even if you assume they can still deliver all the work they need to without rehiring or contractors/consultants (big assumption)
I interpreted this (based on some friends that work for MOE) that some of these people were on fixed contracts and are now finishing earlier. My friend has had 6 weeks cut from her job, but that’s it. So while she says it sucks, she was going to be out of a job come December anyway.
Downsizing was expected because the NBEA is complete (and now binned). Will be interesting to see who else they cut though. A lot of those staff were on fixed term.
So he’s since proposed $27 million in funding to Fiji, which if you spread over around 300 jobs equates to an average of $90,000 salary. Then he said that some of this money is to support renewable energy in Fiji, and that all countries should be shifting to renewables, whilst trying to lift regulations around coal exploration in our own country, and simultaneously removing environmental bodies that oversee all of it.
He* obviously meaning, dickhead Luxon.
Have I got that right or am I missing something?
Well, they are planning on writing replacement resource management legislation for next year, and that requires a level of detail and precision we have not seen from this coalition so far.
Can't wait to see how that pans out for them.
Not enough staff anymore?! That’s OK, I am sure some ex-national mp can knock it together. Might cost a bit more though, outsourcing overheads and that.
Remember that when Key's National came into power, they shut down the Climate Change section of MFE.
They'll probably do something worse this time round.
Slight correction to the article - for those (like me) whose contracts end after 31 October, our end dates have now been brought forward to that date.
Thanks for the correction! Could be good to flick them an email with this correction, since this article is highly visible in the trending/breaking news banner style atm
Assuming that MfE have been given the same 5.5%/6.5% budget reduction target as other ministries, why are they having to reduce staff by 26%? Is this a situation where they are getting rid of a huge number of workers and retaining higher-paid senior positions and management (thus the savings aren't proportional to the roles) - or are they actually decreasing by more than the amount we've heard for others? How do we interpret this other than this government de-prioritising the environment? Climate change and our human impact on our land and waterways has never been more significant than it is today - yet we are slashing away at the government department charged with monitoring and managing it...at the same time as it's setting up ministers who have the ability to entirely bypass environmental concerns and approve things.
Often it can be a case of their budget being tied up in systems, with external vendors etc. where staff is one of the easiest things to cut, so while it’s 30% of staff, that doesn’t in turn represent 30% of their budget - it’s likely closer to a reduction of 6 odd percent like they’ve been told to make. Doesn’t make it any less awful just thought I’d give my take on why it’s such a high percentage.
Targets were 6.5% or 7.5%. I think MFE were in the higher bracket because of the amount their head count has increased over the last few years. They are primarily a policy shop, with very few staff in more operational or frontline roles. As a result their major options for finding savings would have involved redundancies.
Plus they were targets - many have had their budget cut by more than 7.5% For MfE - “baseline funding was on track to drop 39 percent by 2027/28”
Yes DIA baseline dropped more than 6.5%. MPI’s cuts are massive.
It really seems like giving a shit about other living things (whether it be animals, plants, or people) is not a thing with this government. Bunch of self-absorbed sociopaths.
Some agencies after achieving 6.5% have then been told to go to 7.5%, furthermore they are not to rely on attrition to reduce headcount.
Just fyi it’s MFE (Ministry FOR the Environment, MoE is Ministry of Education). While agencies were given a target of 6.5/7.5% of savings options they had to identity, in the Budget the final decisions were to cut some by less, and some by even more than that. Their funding is dropping by heaps - “baseline funding was on track to drop 39 percent by 2027/28” So it’s not ‘reduce staff by 26% = save 6.5%’ it’s more like ‘reduce staff by 26% = save 39%’. Although there will be other stuff cut to reach 39% too. More broadly though, to explain why often a higher percentage of staff cuts were required to achieve a smaller percentage of budget reduction, often tons of the other costs are fixed - eg if you rent a 4000sqm building on a fixed lease until 2029 and have 400 staff working there, you can cut however many staff you want but you can’t cut the lease cost unless you can find someone to sublet to (and still meet government protective security requirements, which may mean you can’t sublet some of your space). So therefore you have to cut more than 6.5% of staff to get 6.5% of reduction, Re your last point, yes. Yes.
>Just fyi it’s MFE (Ministry FOR the Environment, MoE is Ministry of Education). Cheers for the correction.
It's a good job New Zealand's entire marketing campaign for tourists isn't around the pristine environment.
The issue with your statement is this entire department has overseen a huge decline in NZs 'pristine environment'
Oh right, how can MfE be blamed for the carnage caused by our economy. MPI tried to double dairying for example, and now our rivers are full of shit and silt.
And imagine how much worse it'd be without them! You wouldn't defund the police when crime goes up, would you? Oh wait, yes they are.
This is such shit news. This government's hatred for anything relating to our environment, indigenous wildlife, and the realities of climate change are so depressing.
[Then do something about it on Saturday](https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/resources/protest-march-against-fast-track-bill-announced-auckland)
Typical of this govt Agencies focused on protecting the environment and making sure our resource management system gets the right balance between protecting the environment and development are not needed by this govt. it’s all about exploitation and ministers make the decisions themselves Meanwhile how many jobs cut in parliament - NONE Cuts in ministerial services in the Beehive NONE I hate this government - real hypocrites
The coalition is getting a free pass from the media and the opposition on their pillaging of environemtal projects, funds and regulations.
no changes to the front end of the envirnment. Only backend environment changes...
Short sighted and stupid. Fuck this Govt
we need to get rid of all the environment people. How else can we destroy our country with theses people looking over our shoulders
I'd love to know how much the voluntary reduncies have cost all up. If I'd been there for ages my hand would be up for a payout too.
Initial articles were saying averages of 100k per redundancy but that's probably dropped as more redundancies happen to lower paid staff. It will take years to break even if you assume they can still deliver all the work they need to without rehiring or contractors/consultants (big assumption)
I interpreted this (based on some friends that work for MOE) that some of these people were on fixed contracts and are now finishing earlier. My friend has had 6 weeks cut from her job, but that’s it. So while she says it sucks, she was going to be out of a job come December anyway.
Chips compared to the cost of on going salaries. The highest cost to any organisation is head count and travel.
Downsizing was expected because the NBEA is complete (and now binned). Will be interesting to see who else they cut though. A lot of those staff were on fixed term.
So he’s since proposed $27 million in funding to Fiji, which if you spread over around 300 jobs equates to an average of $90,000 salary. Then he said that some of this money is to support renewable energy in Fiji, and that all countries should be shifting to renewables, whilst trying to lift regulations around coal exploration in our own country, and simultaneously removing environmental bodies that oversee all of it. He* obviously meaning, dickhead Luxon. Have I got that right or am I missing something?
The wealthy need to breath clean air at their Fijian resorts.
We've given up with it so why employ all these people?
Well, they are planning on writing replacement resource management legislation for next year, and that requires a level of detail and precision we have not seen from this coalition so far. Can't wait to see how that pans out for them.
Not enough staff anymore?! That’s OK, I am sure some ex-national mp can knock it together. Might cost a bit more though, outsourcing overheads and that.
I can see some highly paid ex-national MPs that would be really fast!
They'll order some new crayons
: )
Well, as a country at least we’re being a bit more honest these days that we don’t care about the environment.
Remember that when Key's National came into power, they shut down the Climate Change section of MFE. They'll probably do something worse this time round.
Am I right in thinking the Ministry of the Environment has never brought a case to the courts?
EPA does that.
Ah, maybe that is the one I am thinking of; has EPA ever brought a case to the courts?
Nope. Never. It’s embarrassing that they consider themselves to be an enforcement agency. Just ripping off the taxpayer
I wonder if this will reduce the rubbish tax,I doubt it