How many recommendations, if any, from Conservation Boards regarding the Conservation Amendment Bill have been accepted in developing the Bill?

Answer

The Department of Conservation engaged with conservation boards during development of the Conservation Amendment Bill, including during public consultation from November 2024 to February 2025. Conservation boards provided submissions on the discussion documents. The Department’s analysis of submissions informed policy decisions for the Bill. The summary of submissions can be found here - https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/getting-involved/consultations/2024/modernising-conservation-management/summary-of-submissions-modernising-conservation-land-management.pdf Board submissions were generally supportive of simplifying the conservation management framework, speeding up concession processes, and enabling access charging. However, concerns were raised around the removal of democratic processes, the centralisation of power and loss of local input. These particularly focussed on concerns that the role of conservation boards and the New Zealand Conservation Authority would be diminished. To ensure local input in developing conservation policy, Cabinet subsequently agreed that conservation boards would have the ability to provide written comment during the drafting and revision of the National Conservation Policy Statement.