FMC calls for major changes to Conservation Amendment Bill

FMC has lodged its submission on the Conservation Amendment Bill, with detailed comments and recommendations on nine key issues. It complements our recent joint submission with other leading outdoor recreation organisations.

Our key concerns and recommendations are:

• Ensuring that any exchange and disposal mechanism includes a mandatory public process, and includes the mandatory protection of recreation access. The scope of the Minister’s withdrawal on these provisions is unclear, and our concerns are about protecting public access in any replacement provisions.
• The proposed section 6(ea) and related provisions must be redrafted. The Bill compromises the place of conservation and outdoor recreation in the conservation legal system. For many tens of thousands of New Zealanders, outdoor recreation is viewed as a birthright, and a key part of what makes New Zealand a great place to live.
• Concentrating decision-making in the Minister’s hands. The New Zealand Conservation Authority and Conservation Boards must be consulted and retain at least joint approval power.

We also noted our general support for streamlining planning and concessions processes but recommended an immediate redrafting of the entire Bill.

One of the Bill’s most concerning proposals is to require DOC to recognise economic opportunities from the use and development of land and “to enable this use and development to the greatest extent practicable”. These words elevate economic development above conservation and must be removed.

Outdoor recreationists have been tramping, climbing, paddling, hunting, and biking on this land for generations. Our right to continue enjoying them must not be diminished.

You can read the full submission here.

Image: Peter Laurenson