"Incredibly dire" - that's how the Minister of Conservation describes the current state of New Zealand's biodiversity.
The minister, Kiri Allan, on Wednesday launched her plans to turn things around, a week after a damning report was released into the declining health of our environment.
The first thing you notice when you step off the boat and onto Wellington's Mana Island is the birdsong. The scenic reserve's one of more than 80 predator-free sanctuaries in Aotearoa. It's a fitting location for announcing plans to tackle our declining biodiversity.
"We are living in an incredibly dire situation when it comes to biodiversity loss," Allan said.
In a bid to turn things around, the minister has released 34 pages worth of conservation goals for the next three years which will set the direction for the Government's plan to protect native plants and wildlife over the next three decades.
"This is a cracking start. We will definitely be keeping a close eye on 'this is when we'll do it' because of that urgency," said Forest and Bird's Nicola Toki.
That urgency is staring us in the face with the Ministry of the Environment and StatsNZ last week releasing a damning report into the state of our environment.
To put it simply, it said we're in real trouble with introduced pests killing around 26.6 million native bird eggs and chicks every year.
"If we don't curb our activities and our behaviour right now, I can't guarantee that in a decade or two's time the 4000 species that are on brink of being threatened or on the brink of extinction will be here," said Allan.
"That will be a grave, grave mark against our generation's name."
A major step in this plan is updating our conservation management laws. Currently, it's a complex legislation web, including the Wildlife Act 1953 - old enough to have its very own gold card.
Forest and Bird said it's legislative change - and cash - that'll make the most difference.
"What I'd like to see is the grunt in behind it, through those economic instruments, through the anticipated conservation law reform," said Toki.
