The proposed changes to the land of the document – and the reaction to them – explained

A proposal to shake like the conservation land is managed can mean that people are accused of accessing parts of national parks. Shanti Mathias explains the proposed changes and what people said in response.

Almost a third of New Zealand – 32.9% of the country’s total land area – is classified as conservation land. This includes national and regional parks, land of stewardship and qeii and ngā whenua rāhui agreements. Around 50% of New Zealandes Visit a National Park annually, along with thousands of international tourists.

A new proposal to “modernize” how this land is governed attracted hunters, climbers and conservationists.

“The world has changed considerably since the conservation law was promulgated in 1987,” the conservation minister Tama Potaka Said to the morning report in November. “We are asking people to receive their comments about the potential to charge for access in some places – not every place, not in most places, but in some very popular places.”

What are these changes?

In November, the doc released discussion documents about two ways to update how conservation land is managed. The collection for access to some areas under Doc management would be a source of income for the department, which faced recent cuts. Although I raised some money – 7% of your general budget Annually – from the international visitors rate, doc said there is a 30% deficit In money, he needs to keep huts and tracks. Was also performing some operations, such as imprisonmentwith Jobs for nature Money, a covid stimulus that is now coming to an end.

At the moment, national parks and other conservation lands are free to access anyone. However, all New Zealand international visitors pay a $ 100 visitors, some of which go to conservation, and Visitors to Stewart Island Pay a fee of $ 10 on this. There are numerous paid experiences, such as flights and helicopter landings, private orientation and private huts that occur in conservation lands. THE First proposal It establishes reasons such as and why the doc could charge for access to some of these popular points.

THE second proposal It is about concession management, which are licenses that allow non -conservation activities to occur in conservation lands, such as commercial tourism and recreation, or maintenance of tubes or electricity posts. The declared objectives of these proposed changes are “generating revenue”, “reducing bureaucracy”, strengthening IWI and HAPū relationships and “identifying and strengthening the protection of high value conservation areas.” This would include a simplified process to apply for a concession, make the concession request more competitive and have a time set to act, which means decisions would be faster. The proposal also considers how “low or worthless” land can remove its conservation status and how to facilitate the establishment of areas of convenience (such as parking lots and bathrooms) in national parks to reduce congestion in areas of intense traffic, such as Araki Visitor Center and Piopoiohi/Milford Sound.

The changes are framed as “modernizing” the Conservation Law and guaranteeing “the equity between users of public conservation land and between the taxpayer and users”, according to the discussion document. However, the suggestion to pay for access to conservation lands has raised big questions about whether this land is valuable only for people who use it or everyone.

What are people saying about the changes?

The submissions on the proposed changes were closed in late February and many interested groups publicly publicized theirs. Many sentimento agreed that it was vital to maintain a focus on conservation, not just in the use and concessions of recreation and tourists for other activities. Here are some other points -chave:

The Environmental Defense Society The proposals needed to include considerations on climate change and that the consultation with the public would be vital before a minister was established in areas of convenience. It also opposed the idea of ​​using a “conservation value” test before removing public conservation status from a land area and said that local Iwi and Hapū needed a right of refusal to any land that was sold.

Forest and BirdLike this, Using a model that it configured to help other people send, He said the value of conservation lands must be preserved without facilitating the change of government. Proposed charges should not prevent New Zealandes from connecting with nature.

The New Zealand Destalks Association It was concerned that there was almost no reference to recreational hunting in the discussion document. He suggested that updates to the Conservation Law and related legislation should focus on the “selective management” of animals such as deer and tahr, rather than trying to remove all non -native species of the conservation land.

STATE PROPERTY GRADE OPERATOR Transpower, Which has about 5% of its infrastructure in conservation lands, he said that wildlife conservation and protection acts can make it difficult to perform important maintenance work on electricity infrastructure. Simplify the process of obtaining planning and concessions for work and updates in concession areas would make things easier for the organization.

Simon Upton, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the EnvironmentLike this, He said that although some of the problems with conservation land administration had been identified, a general national response not always the solution. “Access to public conservation lands And the experiences he can offer are a regional issue, not just a national, ”he wrote. He criticized the idea of ​​having area plans focused on conservation land as a“ transactional approach to the conservation system that ignores the main objective of the conservation system ” – that is, conservative nature.

Federated Mountain Clubs He said that the collection of accessing conservation land would not solve some of the problems that come with a large number of tourists, especially due to the model of using the international visitors rate to finance conservation and tourism, which “promote[s] New Zealand as an iconic destination [and pays] for the environmental costs of tourism. ”The accusations may discourage volunteers, who currently perform some track and cabin maintenance work, and would be expensive to implement. Submission has largely supported the improvement of the concession process.

THE New Zealand Law Society He said that although the proposals addressed long -term concerns about conservation land management, they raised new legal issues. Referring to accelerated approvals legislation, the law society said it was “concerned that proposals also mark a change to concentrate ministerial power and undermine systemic checks and balances in executive decision making, in ways not fully recognized in discussion material. When considered together with other current reforms, they are part of a broader and more considered standard.”

When will these changes be completed? Is a change of law necessary to confirm them?

Yes, charging for conservation lands would require a change in law and a selected committee process, which means more chances of feedback from the public along the way. According to the discussion document, any confirmed changes, such as charges for access to specific areas, will be announced in 2026, when the public may respond again.

In a statement to Spinoff, Tama Potaka confirmed that, after operating through shipments, the doc would give him advice soon. “Although the exact time for the process will then depend on the government’s broader work program, it is my intention that the amendments enter into force this parliamentary mandate,” he said.