Have your say on the National Conservation Policy Statement

The National Conservation Policy Statement (NCPS) will shape how our public conservation land is managed for years to come, covering everything from concessions to visitor zones. It aims to cut ‘red tape’ and speed up commercial concessions on public conservation land, paired with simplified single planning documents for the regions (“area plans”).

It is connected directly to the Conservation Amendment Bill, as the Bill will enable the Minister of Conservation to set future national policy direction through the NCPS.

One of the key changes is speeding up granting of commercial concessions. It sets out those activities that:

• won’t need a permit
• which will have a pre-approved permit system (including guided walks, biking, water taxis, drone use, and small-scale filming),
• which will be pre-assessed based on land classification and visitor zone, but still require individual assessment
• that will go through the standard concession application process

We think some parts of the NCPS are valuable, but there’s room for improvement. We’ll be making a submission and encourage everyone interested in the outdoors to do so as well.

Here are some of the issues on our mind:

• Voluntary work like hut and track maintenance, pest control, and search and rescue, should be exempt from requiring a permit, to remove any legal doubt for volunteers.
• It sets out how to classify and reclassify conservation land, but says nothing about land disposal or exchange. It also proposes to reduce oversight from the New Zealand Conservation Authority and conservation boards. Given the proposals in the Conservation Amendment Bill, these are real concerns.
• Visitor amenity areas could enable commercial development and effectively privatise wild places. On top of this, the definition of “utilities” lacks clear guidance on where infrastructure should be located on conservation land, potentially allowing large infrastructure developments in inappropriate areas.
• There’s no cap on how many pre-approved concessions can be granted. Without a limit, how will DOC know who’s operating where or manage the effects on our most popular spots?

Submissions are open now until 10 August.

Image: Hayden Richards