The Minister for Conservation Hon Tama Potaka today released proposals to
modernise the country’s conservation system. The proposals are set out in two
consultation documents and include streamlining the conservation management
planning system, revamping the concession systems, providing more flexibility to
exchange conservation land and charging for access to conservation areas.
“EDS has been arguing for some years that the conservation system is no longer fit
for purpose, so this is a welcome first step towards modernising it,” said
Environmental Defence Society Policy Director Raewyn Peart.
“Conservation management planning, in particular, needs simplifying and
streamlining so it is great to see that this is proposed. However, it will be important to
build strong checks and balances into any new planning process, and this is why
EDS has previously proposed the use of independent panels.
“We welcome proposals to revamp the concessions system to support greater use of
tendering and fairer charging. Our analysis indicates that the Department of
Conservation has been significantly undercharging concessionaires, given the value
that access to the conservation estate provides for their businesses, so it would be
great to get them onto a more equitable charging system.
“The proposal to make it easier to exchange conservation land is of some concern
and needs further thought. Any exchanges need to be subject to robust
considerations and should not include land with high conservation values.
“The is an urgent need for more money for conservation and EDS supports some
access charging in principle. However, the details will need to be carefully worked
through to ensure that New Zealanders are not excluded from accessing
conservation areas.
“There’s a lot of detail to digest over the coming days and we’ll be responding further
in due course. Submissions close on 28 Feb 2025 and we encourage the public to
submit. EDS will run a webinar in the New Year to assist with that process,”
concluded Ms Peart.
The proposals are available to read here.
For more:
Raewyn Peart
021613379
raewyn@eds.org.nz