The Government has announced an $81 million funding boost for the Department of Conservation (DoC) over the next four years.
Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage says we have a predator crisis.
"We need to invest in comprehensive predator control in order to save special wildlife like kiwi. Eighty-two percent of native birds are threatened or at risk of extinction. And possums, rats and stoats are a major problem."
Predator control will cover 1.8 million hectares, about the size of Auckland and Northland combined - the largest area ever covered.
Previous funding for DoC enabled possum control across 1 million hectares, but the new budget will protect biodiversity from rats, stoats and possums in a much larger and more integrated way.
"DoC's pest control improves forest health and the breeding success of threatened species like kākā, kea, rock wren, whio/blue duck and bats," says Ms Sage.
The injection in funding will help the risk of 4000 native plants and animals going extinct.
Newshub.
