What empirical evidence has the Minister seen, if any, that demonstrates that existing conservation legislation is preventing effective conservation outcomes?

Answer

The inefficiencies of the conservation planning and concessions systems require significant resource which the Department of Conservation could otherwise put to achieving conservation outcomes. They also hinder activities that would contribute to conservation through rents or in-kind contributions such as pest-control. Currently 30-40% concessions are considered low-impact, but still require individual assessment. This is disproportionate to the risk of these activities. Over 90% of conservation planning documents are overdue for review, with some areas operating under plans approved in the 1990s.