Minister Tama Potaka announced changes to the conservation system on Thursday. The Conservation Amendment Bill would modernise how conservation land was managed, support economic growth, and improve environmental outcomes, he said.
This was the most significant reform of conservation legislation in nearly 40 years.
‘‘Tourism on conservation land generates around $5.3 billion a year and supports jobs across the country. More than 1600 businesses operate on or around conservation land, contributing to regional economies and local livelihoods.
‘‘But the system has not kept pace. The Conservation Act is nearly 40 years old, and outdated rules and slow processes have created unnecessary cost and delay.’’
When contacted yesterday, Mr Potaka said he thought it was a positive and balanced reaction to the proposal.
‘‘I think there’s a narrow range of negative sentiment from people who are primarily naysayers and scaremongers. But everyone knows if we make more money out of the conservation estate, we can reinvest into biodiversity,’’ he said.
‘‘We’ve got to make it easier for people to recreate, undertake cultural activities, and actually build business alongside with and within the estate.’’
He pointed to the Mitre Peak Lodge in Milford Sound which was an example of the old ways hampering businesses.
‘‘It’s in a dire state. It needs a real tune-up, but they can only do that if they get a concession with some tenure and they know they’ve got confidence and time to actually reinvest. They’re not going to do that if they get a five-year term. They wouldn’t do anything.
‘‘That’s the sort of place that I come from. Give people confidence and certainty, and they’ll do good stuff.’’
He said there was too much red tape and green tape.
‘‘We’re better than that.’’
The department had more tracks than the government had state highways and it had to be looked after, he said.
Part of the proposal was to get international tourists to pay to visit certain sites. New Zealanders would still go free.
‘‘When you and I go to Australia or Hawaii or the States or Canada, do we pay? Yeah, we do. So if it’s good for the brown duck, it’s good for the parry.’’
The modelling done had been for $20 or $40 entry fees. The government might look at about five places initially and see how it went. Milford Sound was a definite contender. Money raised would go back into the conversation estate.
Doc had trialled three paid carparks in the South Island and brought in about $1.5 million over the summer.
Some parts of the conservation estate were iconic and we ‘‘shouldn’t be doing too much with it’’. But some of it had probably had a lower conservation value.
‘‘If you think about the wilding pines situation down your way, well, we could have dealt with some of that if we enabled more grazing.
‘‘But we didn’t and all of a sudden we’re saying, oh, no, that tussock, it’s too indigenous or it’s too sacred, we’ve got to look after that, so no grazing.
‘‘All of a sudden you’ve got wilding pines and the tussock’s gone anyway because the wilding pines have taken over. Well, that makes no sense. That is nonsense.’’
He hoped to get the amendment Bill to the select committee quickly.
