Taxpayers Slugged for $400k Boutique Snails

The Taxpayers’ Union has revealed through an Official Information Act request that the Department of Conservation (DOC) has spent $411,875 on the endangered southern Powelliphanta augusta snails.

Following the collapse of Solid Energy, DOC took over responsibility for the captive snails, with additional habitat restoration projects now costing more than $1 million.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator Rhys Hurley said:

“These snails have been in captivity since 2006. DOC has killed over 800 by accident, yet they’re still planning to spend millions and another five years till they'll all be fully released.”

“There have been multiple proposals for this programme, but instead DOC has bred over 4,000 snails in fridges in Hokitika and is now figuring out how to slow the breeding down as facilities hit capacity.”

“Taxpayers aren’t opposed to conservation, but the lack of substance in this scheme shows the ridiculousness of the system. It drains DOC funding away from other species, is unaccountable, and refuses to acknowledge success.”

“This is conservation at its most expensive and least effective. It's time to take the snails out of the fridge and make the hard decisions on protecting our native species.”