The Department of Conservation (DOC) has announced plans to cut back 140 regional management and administration positions.

The job losses are part of a reorganisation where DOC's existing 11 regional conservancy boundaries are replaced with six new regions managed across the two functions of delivering field conservation work and growing conservation through partnerships.

140 DoC regional management and administrational jobs were axed this morning.

The proposal is identified as helping produce a new streamlined and outwardly focused operational structure to better position DOC in the future.

DOC presented the new structure to staff at a series of meetings around the country this morning.

DOC director general Al Morrison says the new structure will maintain DOC's own conservation delivery work while setting the department up to work more effectively with external partners.

'DOC must adapt if it is going to meet the conservation challenges that New Zealand faces - even if you doubled DOC's budget tomorrow we would still be going ahead with this proposal.”

He says the organisation will continue to operate out of the same number of offices as it currently does with more than 1200 operational staff.

The resulting flatter organisational structure will see the loss of about 118 management and administrative positions.

'There will also be a reduction in 22 operational roles through efficiencies gained by setting up new support hubs for activities such as asset management, inspections and work planning.”

Al says the proposal has been sized to ensure DOC meets its current $8.7 million savings targets and continues to meet its current delivery work.

DOC has begun consulting with staff about the proposals and no final decisions will be taken until staff feedback has been considered, say Al.

'I acknowledge this will mean a difficult period for many staff and we will be making every effort to ease the impact of these proposals.”

DOC has had a freeze on hiring new staff and is currently holding about 160 vacancies.

'It is simply too early to say what impact these proposals will have on individuals - we will look at all options such as redeployment and relocation to minimise redundancies.”

DOC's proposed structure:

• the removal of DOC's existing 11 regional conservancy boundaries and replacing them with six new regions
• the creation of a Conservation Services Group focused on delivering DOC's recreational and natural heritage field work
• the creation of a Conservation Partnerships Group focused on working with community groups, iwi, local authorities, private landowners and businesses to attract more resources to conservation
• the disestablishment of 118 regional management and administration roles
• the disestablishment of 22 asset management, planning and inspection positions through the creation of new field support hubs
• DOC continuing to deliver its operational work from its existing network of about 100 offices and locations around the country.