The bill amends the Game Animal Council Act 2013 so that valued introduced game species designated as herds of special interest are not subject to a requirement to be exterminated, supporting a hunter-led management approach for those herds.
Parliament advanced this bill under urgency (first reading, second reading) — moving it through faster than usual, with less time than normal for public submissions.
These are claims MPs made in Parliament’s debate — not verified facts.
This bill strengthens the "Herds of Special Interest" (HOSI) framework for managing certain populations of game animals — introduced species such as deer, tahr, chamois and wild pigs that are hunted. Under the Game Animal Council Act 2013, the Minister responsible for hunting can designate a specific herd on public conservation land as a "herd of special interest," to be managed for its hunting, recreational or other value rather than simply treated as a pest to be removed. The bill clarifies and expands how a HOSI can be established and managed — notably confirming that a herd of special interest can be designated within a national park, and providing that a designated herd is not automatically subject to the eradication (remove-on-sight) requirements that otherwise apply to introduced animals under the National Parks Act 1980. In effect it enables hunter- and community-led management of valued game herds.
The bill is a Government bill reflecting a coalition commitment to recognise the value of hunting and game animals, and it builds on the Game Animal Council Act 2013 — the first New Zealand law to recognise and manage game animals as valued introduced species. Supporters, including hunting organisations and the Game Animal Council, argue that some herds have cultural, recreational and economic value, that hunters can help manage animal numbers and habitat, and that formal HOSI status enables cooperative, locally led management rather than blanket culling. Opponents, including many conservation and environmental groups, argue that deer, tahr and similar animals cause serious damage to native forests and alpine ecosystems, that protecting herds inside national parks conflicts with long-standing duties to remove introduced pests, and that the change risks prioritising hunting interests over biodiversity in areas set aside for native nature. Opinion is sharply divided between hunting and conservation interests.
See the Parliament.nz ↗ site for the full bill.