Conservation land won’t be ‘treated lightly or on a whim’ - minister

Thursday, 25 June 2026

Neither the Government nor DOC ‘is embarking on a programme of selling PCL,’ Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

Tama Potaka is the conservation minister.

OPINION: Toitū te taiao. Nature endures.

Over the last week there has been considerable discussion about the Conservation Amendment Bill and what it could mean for New Zealand’s public conservation land (or PCL). Many New Zealanders have expressed their concerns that large areas of PCL could be sold or exchanged. These concerns are critically important.

New Zealanders care deeply about nature including PCL. PCL contains some of the country’s most majestic places, heritage and landscapes which define who we are as communities and a nation. We have a lot of animals and plants found nowhere else on Earth, and places where generations of New Zealanders have hunted, tramped, fished, skied, and explored.

The changes would impose a clearer and more consistent framework for exchange and disposal decisions, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

These taonga or treasures need protecting for our generation and the generations who follow. That’s why I have recently announced $10 million of co-investment alongside NEXT Foundation and the Auckland Council in Predator Free 2050 Auckland, over $100m of commitments to getting rid of wilding conifers and predators particularly in the South Island, and massive new marine reserves outside Canterbury, Otago and Southland.

It is critical that Kiwis ask hard questions about the future of this whenua (land) and the intergenerational responsibilities we share together to protect them.

Public conservation land ‘contains some of the country’s most majestic places’, Potaka says. Pictured is the Timber Trail in Pureora Forest Park.

It is equally important, however, that those conversations are grounded in what is actually being proposed.

Neither the Government nor the Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai (DOC) is embarking on a programme of selling PCL. Nor is the Bill directing that PCL be sold. In fact, DOC has had the ability to exchange or dispose of certain categories of PCL – particularly stewardship land which currently makes up around 30% of PCL - since DOC was established in 1987. From time to time, small parcels of PCL have been transferred out of Crown ownership into iwi, councils and other arrangements. Haven’t heard anything material from vocal commentators about these matters – sounds more like convenience rather than consistency.

About 40% of public conservation land will remain ‘entirely ineligible for exchange or disposal’ - including Ramsar wetlands. Pictured is Whangamarino Wetland.

The Bill establishes a clearer and more consistent framework for how exchange and disposal decisions are considered across PCL to ensure that conservation benefits overall. Importantly, around 40% of PCL will remain entirely ineligible for exchange or disposal. National parks, nature reserves, scientific reserves, ecological areas, wilderness areas, sanctuary areas, marine reserves, Ramsar wetlands and World Heritage Areas.

For the remaining land, there are a lot of hoops to jump through before any recommendation is made to the Minister of Conservation.

Any proposal for disposal must ultimately be recommended by the Director-General of Conservation to the Minister. The land cannot be important for threatened species or threatened ecosystems, nor can it contain one of the best examples of its habitat type within its ecological district. Existing Treaty settlement obligations and rights of first refusal must be honoured. Māori rights and interests must be considered. Recreation values, public access and the broader conservation impacts must also be assessed before a proposal could proceed. Importantly, any proposal for disposal must go through an extensive process involving Māori, people with an interest in the proposed outgoing land, any responsible management bodies, and also a public notification and engagement process.

There will be ‘intentionally high’ thresholds for the disposal or exchange of conservation land, Potaka says. Pictured is Wairere Falls.

Even after those requirements have been met, the decision remains with the Minister who must consider various matters and may impose conditions.

The threshold is intentionally high because PCL should not be treated lightly or on a whim.

A similar approach applies to PCL exchanges. Under the proposed framework, an exchange can only occur where it results in a net conservation benefit. In practical terms, that means the conservation estate must be better off as a result of the exchange than it was beforehand. The legislation specifically requires consideration of whether an exchange would strengthen biodiversity protection, improve ecological representation, enhance habitat connectivity, better protect natural or historic heritage values, or improve public access.

New Zealanders care about whether kiwi and countless other native species have a future, Potaka says.

That reflects the broader purpose of the reforms. Conservation is not an exercise in preserving classifications for their own sake. It is about protecting biodiversity, restoring habitats, safeguarding species, enabling and sustaining our traditions, and ensuring current and future New Zealanders can continue to enjoy the natural environment that makes New Zealand unique.

To do that well, we need a system that is focused on outcomes DOC manages nearly a third of New Zealand’s land area and an increasing marine area while more than 4000 native species are threatened or at risk. Pest control, habitat restoration, species recovery, public access and visitor infrastructure all compete for finite resources.

New Zealanders care about our longstanding responsibilities for place, healthy forests, thriving birdlife, clean rivers, accessible public spaces and the protection of the places we love. We care about whether kiwi, whio, kākāpō, tara iti and countless other native species have a future. We care about whether our tamariki (children) and mokopuna (grandchildren) inherit an environment that is healthier than the one we enjoy today.

We all need to be clear about facts that underpin opinion and conclusions. I welcome New Zealanders engaging with the select committee process and making your views known. The Conservation Amendment Bill is not about selling off public conservation land. It is about ensuring we have a conservation system that can focus effort where it is needed most, make better decisions, and deliver stronger conservation outcomes for nature and for all New Zealanders.

That is the objective of these reforms, and that is the standard by which they should be judged.