Maintain New Zealand Stunning chief govt Heather Saunderson and her group have in the present day resigned, following years of frustrations with central authorities. Picture / Equipped
The top of an iconic litter-fighting charity says she and her complete group have resigned over long-running frustrations with central authorities aired in the present day in a scathing open letter.
Heather Saunderson, who’s served as Maintain New Zealand Stunning’s chief govt for greater than a decade, has additionally warned that, with out help, the 55-year-old group may fold inside weeks.
Recognized for its well-known “Be a Tidy Kiwi” marketing campaign, KNZB runs a dozen group and environmental programmes, involving greater than 500 native branches and 1000’s of volunteers.
In her letter, Saunderson mentioned KNZB acquired $3 million in 2017 by the Ministry for the Setting (MfE)-funded Waste Minimisation Fund for its three-year “Do the Proper Factor” venture.
Following that yr’s change of presidency, she wrote of getting difficulties with ministers and ministry managers, with a most cancers analysis in 2020 compounding her personal issues.
Saunderson mentioned KNZB nonetheless delivered on its deed of funding and after proposing a $3m, two-year extension venture, it was allotted $1.3m for what she described as a comparably bigger one, with the group being required to select up a part of the fee for workstreams inside it.
Elsewhere in her letter – shared with officers final month however despatched to information media retailers this morning – Saunderson wrote of ministry “micro-management” through the extension venture and “goalposts being modified”, amongst quite a few different particular complaints.
Saunderson mentioned a number of long-standing employees members had resigned over stress from the venture and that she and her group of 5 had now determined to step down.
Whereas she’d hoped for extra monetary help below the brand new Authorities, that hadn’t occurred.
“We have been completely set as much as fail by the previous Authorities and have made no headway with the present Authorities.”
The Herald has approached KNZB’s board chair and the workplace of Setting Minister Penny Simmonds for remark.
In an announcement, an MfE spokesperson mentioned the ministry had acquired Saunderson’s letter late final month and had met with KNZB board representatives.
“We proceed to have constructive conversations with the board about Maintain New Zealand Stunning’s state of affairs.”
Former Affiliate Setting Minister Eugenie Sage mentioned the 2017-2020 time period noticed a “main ramping up” in MfE’s waste insurance policies and that, with a extra energetic work programme, funding priorities “change”.
“Maintain NZ Stunning might not have acquired the continued funding which Ms Saunderson believes it deserves,” she mentioned.
“I hope it will possibly proceed to work on public consciousness and different initiatives to keep away from litter and forestall waste reaching streets, parks, streams and oceans.”
Jamie Morton is a specialist in science and environmental reporting. He joined the Herald in 2011 and writes about every part from conservation and local weather change to pure hazards and new know-how.
