From time to time we see that the National Environment Service is looking to add new staff positions. Looking for three at the moment.

This writer, like other taxpayers perhaps, would be just absolutely delighted if the NES were to provide some simple numbers to the public.

First number. How many staff now work for NES?

Second number. How many prosecutions has NES taken to Court for those offending under the Environmental Act 2003 in the twenty years of the law’s existence?

Third number. How many persons, corporate or real, have been found guilty of offending under the Environmental Act 2003 in the twenty years of the law’s existence?

We don’t need anything but those numbers. If NES won’t provide those numbers, that pretty much tells the whole story.

NES director Halatoa Fua replies – There are 33 staff at NES. The three new positions are funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) with zero cost to Cook Islands taxpayers. These are critical roles for the implementation of the GEF7 programme.

NES has issued nine breach notices in the current financial year from July 2022. Breach notices are part and parcel of the prosecution process.

May the author subscribe to NES’s e-newsletter Te Kura Tavake to understand the work done by NES. This can be done on the NES website www.environment.gov.ck or view our latest news on https://environment.gov.ck/news/.