On 15 November 2024, the Government released two discussion documents that include proposals to: 

• explore charging for access to some public conservation land  
• streamline concessions and planning processes and enable more flexibility around land exchange and disposals. 

These proposals support delivery of the Government’s priorities for the Conservation portfolio, which include generating new revenue, recalibrating costs for conservation, targeting investment into high-value conservation outcomes, strengthening relationships with Iwi/Hapū, and fixing the concessions process. 

Submission are open from 15 November 2024 and will close at 5 pm on 28 February 2025.

Exploring charging for access to some public conservation land  

The Government is thinking about charging visitors a fair price to access some public conservation land, where it makes sense to do so. Charging for access is a significant opportunity for conservation, it would support a fairer user-pays system and improve the experience of all visitors to public conservation land.

This discussion document is seeking public feedback on whether access charging is a good idea, and key design questions for an access charging system (who to charge, where to charge, how to allocate funding). 

Modernising conservation land management  

Thousands of concessionaires operate on public conservation land, bringing in millions of dollars a year for local economies, connecting people with nature and supporting conservation. We know businesses, developers, infrastructure providers, farmers, researchers and community groups want shorter processing times for permissions and concessions. 

There is broad agreement that the Conservation Act 1987 is outdated and complex. Out of date prescriptive plans and processes means the system has not kept pace with how people interact with public conservation land. 

As a responsible land manager, the Government also wants to ensure conservation land is managed and looked after properly.    

This discussion document is seeking public feedback on proposals to: 

• provide certainty for investment and achieve better economic outcomes through clear ways of granting concessions
• cut processing times and costs on businesses by allowing more types of activities in advance, and more standardised permits
• provide a clear focus on our conservation objectives and what makes our places special, through a more up to date 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 for concessions.  

Media releases:

• New priorities to protect future of conservation 3 September 2024
• Proposals to modernise conservation released 15 November 2024