Conservation Amendment Bill

The Government is proposing changes to New Zealand's conservation laws through the Conservation Amendment Bill. These changes could affect lands managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC), including many areas across Te Tauihu and within the Ngāti Kuia rohe.

For Ngāti Kuia, these lands are much more than public conservation areas. They are part of our whakapapa, hold our wāhi tapu, sustain our taiao, and connect us to our tīpuna. Many of these places also sit alongside, or directly affect, our own Māori land and customary interests.

The proposed Bill includes changes that may affect:

• How conservation land is managed and used, including increased opportunities for commercial activity and development.
• Decisions about exchanging, disposing of, or reclassifying conservation land.
• The way tangata whenua are involved in decisions affecting our whenua and taiao.

Ngāti Kuia is carefully considering what these proposed changes could mean for our people, our responsibilities as kaitiaki, and the wellbeing of future generations.

We encourage all whānau to:

• Stay informed about the proposed changes.
• Consider how they may affect your whenua, taonga, and connection to place.
• Have your say by making a submission to the Select Committee.

To support our whānau, we've prepared a simple submission template that you can use as a starting point to share your whakaaro.

Every submission helps ensure our voices are heard. Together, we can help protect the whenua, taiao, and places that are important to Ngāti Kuia, both now and for generations to come.

Access the submission template below.