4.2 Current risk assessment

The Department's operating environment is influenced by a range of environmental, economic, social, and governmental factors, as outlined in section 2.1.

A significant risk is the scale of the conservation task. Despite the efforts of the Department and other organisations and individuals who work in conservation, New Zealand's natural heritage continues to be depleted. And despite the ongoing pursuit of knowledge by the Department and others, there is still much that is unknown about the natural world and its processes. The impacts of climate change introduce further variables.
The Department's main responses to these risks are:

• The increasing focus the Department's strategic direction places on collaborating with others, and identifying areas of mutual interest and the best ways of working together in the interests of conservation.
• Developing a model and system to meet future science needs, and continuing to work closely with other science providers as outlined in section 5.5.1.
• The ongoing development of the natural heritage management system (NHMS) as outlined in section 5.5.2.

The Department must also prepare for unpredictable and/or unmanageable events (such as fire, adverse weather, biosecurity incursions, and volcanic eruptions), which could compromise natural heritage, or the Department's ability to deliver recreation and outdoor opportunities.

A third group of potential risks to conservation is increasing and sometimes competing demands for use of natural resources, in particular freshwater and coastal space, which exacerbates pressures on the natural and historic environment in some places.

The Department's main responses to these risks, as guided by its strategic direction, are:

• Promoting the economic, social, cultural and environmental values and benefits of conservation to help build a national view that conservation is essential to New Zealand's future well being, rather than simply 'nice to have'.
• Working with the commercial sector to further commercial marketing objectives around the 'clean green' brand and sustainability, while also delivering benefits for conservation and developing opportunities for carbon off sets on public conservation lands and waters.
• Assessing likely future pressures (such as renewable energy generation), and possible options to address these, in accordance with the legislative framework for concessions and statutory management planning.

back to top

Despite increased funding for new work, there is ongoing pressure on the Department's budget because of the size of the conservation task, salary increases and other inflationary pressures, and unavoidable costs. The Department has had to absorb some of the costs through efficiency and productivity gains.

The Department's main responses to these business management risks are outlined at section 5.9.

The age profile of the Department's staff and the increasing mobility of younger age groups pose risks to the Department's ongoing ability to retain institutional knowledge and attract and retain new staff.

The Department's main responses to these recruitment and retention risks are:

• Focusing attention on leadership development, succession planning, professional development and overall workforce planning as outlined in sections 5.1 and 5.2.

The nature of the Department's work is inherently hazardous, both in the tasks undertaken and the locations in which staff work. All business must be conducted so that the health and safety of employees, volunteers, contractors and members of the community is a priority.

The Department's main responses to these health and safety risks are:

• Eliminating or minimising risks by developing consistent health and safety procedures that can be applied across the entire organisation, while allowing managers to vary controls where relevant.
• Promoting individual and collective accountability for workplace health and safety, with primary accountability resting with line management. This is monitored through monthly operating reviews and the performance management system.
• Using key health and safety performance standards to establish measurable objectives and targets in order to ensure continuous improvement aimed at eliminating or minimising work related injury and illness.

back to top