ACAT’s submission on DOC’s ‘Modernising Conservation Management’ proposals

Read our key points and the full submission below.

Key points

We have read the Federated Mountain Clubs’ (FMC) excellent submission on the proposals and we endorse the positions taken. We would like to emphasise and expand on the following key points from FMC’s submission, as these have significant implications for climbing on public conservation land: 

• We support simplifying the management planning structure by removing layers as set out in the proposals. This will make it easier for the public and small nonprofit organisations like ACAT to engage effectively in conservation management.  
• We oppose removing substantial powers from the NZCA and conservation boards. We agree with FMC that these independent bodies have significant expertise and are crucial to the development of conservation management policy that survives political cycles, ensuring adherence to the conservation-led hierarchy of the Conservation Act. 
• We support the development of national-level guidance documents for specific activities such as climbing. 
• We strongly oppose the proposed liberalisation of the process for exchanges and disposal of conservation land. These are a significant threat to the integrity of the conservation estate, with poorly defined criteria and insufficient safeguards. Overall, there is a strong likelihood that these proposals would have a detrimental effect on conservation.
• We strongly support FMC’s emphasis on the hierarchy of conservation values; first conservation, then recreation, and thirdly tourism. ACAT was deeply involved in consultation on the Milford Opportunities Project, which the current proposals are informed by. It was striking that the first draft of the MOP, which was developed without input from any recreational organisations, contained approximately two references to recreation in the entire plan and did not cater to the needs of recreationists, with almost all of the focus on tourism. In depth engagement with recreation bodies was needed in the later stages to ensure that recreational interests were appropriately considered.   

Overall, we consider that a greater focus on conservation and recreation, rather than economic activity, is needed in the proposals, in line with the above hierarchy.  

Read ACAT’s full submission on the modernising land management discussion document.