This Government bill amends the Conservation Act 1987 to streamline the management of conservation land, better enable appropriate use of that land, and support more effective administration. It is still before Parliament.
This Government bill overhauls the Conservation Act 1987 — the main law governing New Zealand's public conservation land, which covers roughly a third of the country. It aims to simplify how that land is planned and managed, speed up decisions on 'concessions' (the permits businesses and others need to operate on conservation land, from guiding to grazing), and make day-to-day administration more efficient.
Following public consultation, the bill would consolidate overlapping plans into fewer documents, set time limits for processing concessions, pre-approve low-risk activities, and allow charging international visitors at popular sites while keeping access free for New Zealanders. Supporters, including the Government, say it cuts red tape and modernises a nearly 40-year-old system; critics, including conservation groups such as Forest & Bird, worry it could weaken environmental protections and narrow Treaty safeguards that apply to conservation land.
See the Parliament.nz ↗ site for the full bill.