Government acts on conservation bill concerns

Toitū te taiao – nature endures. 

The Government has listened to public concerns and will remove provisions from the Conservation Amendment Bill around the disposal or exchange of conservation land, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

“New Zealanders care deeply about conservation - and so does the Government. We know how dear our pristine landscapes are to the hearts of New Zealanders and we will never dispose of those iconic landscapes,” Mr Potaka says.

“But we were not clear enough about how the Conservation Amendment Bill improves outcomes for conservation, so we are fixing it.

“We have heard loud and clear the concerns about the potential disposal or exchange of conservation land, and we are acting on those concerns by removing those provisions from this bill.”

Mr Potaka met with the Environmental Defence Society and Forest and Bird and agreed the disposal and exchange parts of the bill would be removed.

He also undertook to work with those groups, and other stakeholders and iwi, to work through the economic development aspects of the bill to ensure they support strong conservation outcomes and stand the test of time.

The provisions were part of a bill which modernises how conservation land is managed, support economic growth and improve environmental outcomes. It is currently being considered by a parliamentary select committee.

“This remains the most significant reform of conservation legislation in nearly 40 years. It will improve the conservation system for all New Zealanders,” Mr Potaka says.

“But to achieve that we need to be very clear about what we’re doing, and why.

“We have listened and we have acted.” ...