Help us modernise conservation land management
Introduction
The Government seeks your feedback on proposed updates to the concessions and planning system to make it more efficient and responsive. Submissions are now open and will close on 28 February 2025.About this consultation
Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai (DOC) is the country’s biggest land manager and regulates how economic activity takes place on conservation land by issuing concessions, to ensure conservation outcomes are protected.
Recently, many organisations and entities have expressed that changes are needed to the management planning and concessions system. Concessions are slow and complicated to process.
As a responsible land manager, the Government also wants to ensure conservation land is managed and looked after properly. That includes flexibility around exchanges and disposals of public conservation land to improve conservation outcomes.
The Government is consulting on proposals to modernise how businesses work on public conservation land and to make it easier for them to work with DOC. This will in turn support DOC to deliver conservation results.
Discussion document
Discussion document (PDF, 4,883)
This discussion document seeks your feedback on options to:
- provide certainty for investment and achieve better economic outcomes through clear concession allocation settings
- cut processing times and costs on businesses through more proactive authorisation of activities
- unlock management planning through a more streamlined and flexible system
- enable more flexibility around the exchange and disposal of land where it makes sense from a conservation perspective
- clarify, and provide certainty about DOC’s Treaty obligations.
How to make a submission
Send your feedback by 5 pm on Friday 28 February 2025.
You can provide your feedback by:
Online submissions
Complete the online submission form
Where possible, we prefer receiving online submissions.
Email or post
Email your submission to us at landlegislation@doc.govt.nz.
The submission form is available in Word (129K) or PDF (301K) format to download.
Post your submission to us at:
Department of Conservation
PO Box 10420, Wellington 6143
Attention: Modernising conservation land management consultation submissions
Note that if emailing us an attachment, Microsoft Word or searchable PDF formats are preferred. Where possible, provide relevant facts, figures, data, examples and documents to support your views.
Public webinars
DOC will hold public webinars to share more information about these proposals. Webinars will be held on the following dates:
- Tuesday 21 January 2025, 5.30 pm - 7 pm
- Wednesday 29 January 2025, 12 pm - 1.30 pm
Register online for a public webinar
Supporting Cabinet papers and advice
DOC’s advice to the Minister of Conservation, and the Minister’s Cabinet related to this proposal will be proactively released soon, with some redactions consistent with the Official Information Act 1982.
Contact
Direct any questions regarding this consultation to landlegislation@doc.govt.nz.