New Zealand Conservation Experts Disappointed Only Few People Wants to Join Conservation Efforts

New Zealand struggles to fill ideal jobs preserving wildlife despite the large potential and little desire. A biodiversity supervisor is needed by the Department of Conservation on the South Island's untamed, desolate coast, which is also a Unesco World Heritage Site.

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Job Description

You get to have a playground that is a Unesco world heritage site, a salary of NZ$90,000, and a helicopter commute. It seems like the ideal position. However, despite the generous benefits, the New Zealand Department of Conservation has had trouble finding applicants for the position of biodiversity supervisor at Haast on the South Island's untamed, rural coast. Now, the quest is expanding internationally.

Te Wāhipounamu, a region of 26,000 square kilometers with mountain ranges, remote beaches, and native forests, was designated as a Unesco World Heritage Area in 1990. In Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, its mountain ranges served as the setting for the White Mountains/Ered Nimrais.

The chosen candidate will be responsible for guarding newly found Haast tokoeka kiwi populations, keeping an eye on the area's fur seal and lizard numbers, managing predators, and keeping track of the songbird population. They will labor in isolated, rugged terrain, some of which can only be reached by helicopter or jetboat.

With a pay range of NZ$72,610 to $92,780, the job posting describes the area as a "wonderful place to live, surrounded by mountains and ocean, with infinite activities for an outdoor enthusiast." However, the New Zealand Herald reported on Monday that just three individuals had inquired about the department's call for applications, which had failed to generate any interest.

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Need the Right Person

According to Wayne Costello, operations manager for DOC in South Westland, the position is ideal for those who enjoy being outside and don't mind a little alone.

He told Stuff, "It is working in one of the most incredible natural surroundings the country has to offer." It's simply amazing. But not everyone will enjoy it. You would need to be independent and able to work outside. It's probably not for you if opera and theater fascinate you.

The struggle to draw employees to the region's natural splendor is not exclusive to the Department of Conservation. The regional development organization for the west coast recently unveiled a new ad in which it declared it was "on a global quest for new 'coasters.'"

According to Development West Coast CEO Heath Milne, "We're looking for folks who are tired of the city's traffic, congestion, and commercialism and would want a little more space."

Open Positions

According to Milne, there are 50 open positions in aged care, primary care, ED, mental health, and inpatient services on the west coast, and many businesses and organizations are desperate for employees. As more New Zealanders leave the country following the epidemic and immigration slowly bounces back, numerous industries across New Zealand have experienced chronic labor and skills shortages. According to the employment website SEEK, the west coast had a 27% rise in job advertisements over the previous year.

According to Milne, "The Coast is a distinctive area that draws a special person." "We are looking for some more of them."