Environmental Defence Society Welcomes Conservation Amendment Bill Changes

Following discussions last week on the fringes of the EDS Conference, the Minister of Conservation has agreed to substantial changes to the Conservation Amendment Bill.

“EDS and Forest & Bird representatives had a lengthy and respectful meeting with Minister Potaka and worked through how our serious concerns with the Bill could be addressed,” said EDS CEO Gary Taylor.

“There are two key issues: the exchange and disposal provisions, and the economic opportunity clauses.

“On the former, the Minister has agreed to withdraw the proposed provisions and revert to the current law. That is a very pleasing outcome and an acknowledgment of the massive upwelling of public opposition to the prospect of selling off parts of the conservation estate.

“On the latter, which we think is a greater threat to conservation, the Minister agreed to write to the Select Committee and ask it to consider reworking the economic clauses to make it clear that any economic activity on public conservation land must always be consistent with strong and enduring conservation outcomes. We agreed to work with him and the Select Committee to propose drafting changes to those clauses.

“That leaves the rest of the Bill, which still needs improvements, to be worked through the Select Committee process.

“The Bill has been long in gestation, and we don’t want it withdrawn completely because many of the changes are urgently needed.

“EDS spent three years reviewing the conservation management system, and many of the proposals in the Bill are recommendations from our final 2024 report Restoring Nature: Reform of the conservation management system, available here.

“EDS will be making a substantive submission on the Bill by the closing date, which we understand may be extended by a week or two. This Bill is not scheduled for enactment until the next term of Parliament.

“EDS will also be making a submission on the National Conservation Policy Statement, which is being consulted on in parallel with the Bill. Submissions on the Statement have also been extended until 10 August. You can read more about that here.

“EDS and Forest & Bird will be following up this week on our discussions with the Minister on implementation of the two key changes,” Mr Taylor concluded.

An abridged overview of some key features of the Bill from the Department of Conservation:

Access charging

• Changing the legislation enables the charging of international visitors for access to the highest profile tourist sites.
• Charges are commonplace internationally, and DOC estimates that charging at just four key locations will generate around $60 million that can be immediately re-invested in conservation and improved visitor experiences.

Concessions

• The Bill will enable concessionaires to get quicker and more predictable decisions on concessions.
• It will allow some activities to take place without needing a concession at all, and some low-risk activities will be ‘pre-approved.’
• By simplifying concessions processes DOC can focus on the applications that require closer scrutiny.
• DOC says these changes will free up resources for conservation rather than for administration.

Visitor Amenities Areas

• The visitor amenities area tool already exists in National Parks, and is being introduced to a wider range of conservation land types.
• This tool acknowledges that there is a need to provide public amenities on conservation land – many already exist (like visitor centres, tourism operators, even a school in Aoraki Mt Cook Village).
• The revised visitor amenity area tool allows considered development of these spaces, where it can’t be undertaken elsewhere.
• The tool will enable DOC to plan ahead for expected visitor growth, and ensure that when facilities are provided in the future, their impact on special locations is better managed.

National Conservation Policy Statement (NCPS) and area plans

• The Bill creates a more streamlined, coherent, and responsive planning framework. At present the planning process is hopelessly slow and bureaucratic.
• The new framework is intended to be more responsive to community aspirations and will ensure strong conservation outcomes are planned over time.
• The NCPS and area plans will have clear processes, including explicit roles for iwi which aren’t currently set out clearly in legislation.
• The Bill sets out a clear process, enabling DOC, iwi and conservation stakeholders to focus on what goes into the plan.