DOC, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC), Otago Regional Council (ORC) and local businesses are establishing a workforce group to pilot projects including refurbishing tracks, carrying out predator trapping and supporting wilding conifer control work.
"We know that Queenstown has been hit hard by the downturn in international visitors because of the COVID-19 pandemic," DOC's Operations Manager Wakatipu, Geoff Owen says.
"The group will bring together people in need of work, initially from within the tourism sector, and prepare them for nature-based employment opportunities that are being identified across Queenstown and Wanaka."
DOC has invested $250,000 from the Government's $1.3 billion Jobs for Nature programme for the hub pilot. QLDC's $70,000 contribution is sourced from the $1.4m labour redeployment funding recently received from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
