3.6 Business opportunities
Intermediate outcome 7: Business opportunities consistent with conservation outcomes are enabled
The aim is to achieve better results for conservation through enhanced relationships with the business sector and through promoting the economic benefits of conservation.
Enhanced relationships will mean that concessionaires and businesses will see the Department as working constructively within the legislative framework, and being clear about the reasons for its decisions.
There will be increasing commitment from businesses, and in particular concessionaires, to minimise impacts on the natural environment, and to put effort back into conserving the environment on which they rely. The Department will work to support these efforts.
Businesses and industry groups will recognise that conservation is essential to provide substance to the 'clean green New Zealand' brand, and to help provide the carbon offsets and healthy natural environments on which their international marketing will increasingly rely. This will be reflected in the actions and decisions of businesses.
New Zealanders will see conservation and economic prosperity as mutually supporting. There will be greater awareness of the employment and revenue that flows into communities from public conservation lands and waters, both directly from concessionaires and indirectly from associated service industries outside of public conservation lands and waters. New Zealanders will value the contribution public conservation lands make towards the country's 'natural infrastructure' by helping maintain and enhance water quality and quantity, soil structures, and flood control, and by providing carbon offset opportunities.
By enabling concessions and business agreements, the Department contributes to the wider social and economic future of New Zealand.
Recreation concessions expand the available range of recreation and outdoor opportunities to accommodate a wider cross-section of New Zealanders.
By enabling non-recreation concessions such as grazing, telecommunications, and commercial filming, the Department demonstrates that it is administering public conservation lands and waters within its statutory functions, for the wider public good.
As New Zealanders become more aware of the economic dimension of conservation, and enjoy the wider range of outdoor opportunities that is enabled by concessions, New Zealanders will support enhanced protection of natural and historic heritage, and benefit further.
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The Department enables business opportunities consistent with conservation outcomes in two main ways:
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Concessions management: Concessions are authorised by the Conservation Act 1987, Part 3B. A concession is a lease, licence, permit or easement, granted under the Act, which allows someone to carry out a trade, occupation or business on areas managed by the Department. Concessions are granted in accordance with the detailed criteria in the Act, the provisions of the relevant statutory planning document, and the purpose for which the area is held.
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Business agreements: These are partnerships, sponsorships and arrangements made for conservation purposes. Business agreements could relate to activities such as pest control, reforestation, recreational opportunities, or communication and marketing initiatives. Third parties would enter into these agreements for a variety of reasons, including carbon offsets, green/sustainable branding, or services such as flood protection and protecting water and soil quality. (The latter might, for instance, be the object of an agreement with a local authority.) Business agreements are authorised under the Conservation Act 1987 (section 53), which provides a general power to the Director-General to enter into agreements and arrangements so long as they are consistent with conservation purposes.
The Department seeks effective relationships with concessionaires and those with whom it has business agreements.
The Department will focus on the following areas for the medium term:
- Identifying and marketing opportunities for business agreements that can achieve conservation outcomes and generate resources for conservation.
- Working proactively within the concessions legislative framework to reduce cost and uncertainty for concessionaires, while ensuring that conservation values are protected. This includes establishing activities, locations and conditions where the conforming non-notified process can be used.
- Assessing likely future pressures (such as for renewable energy generation), and possible options to address these, in accordance with the legislative framework for concessions and statutory management planning.
- Communicating and marketing the wider environmental, social, cultural, and economic benefits delivered by conservation in general, and business agreements with the Department, including contributions to sustainability, such as flood protection, protecting water and soil quality, and providing carbon offset opportunities.
The outputs through which the Department works towards the achievement of this intermediate outcome are set out in Figure 1 in section 3.1.
The indicator for the equivalent intermediate outcome in previous statements of intent ("Appropriate business opportunities are allowed") measured change over time in the number of significant adverse effects from concession activities. This indicator has been discontinued because of the difficulty of reporting this information, and because it does not adequately reflect the intentions of the new intermediate outcome.
During 2008-2009, the Department will work towards confirming the indicators to be used in 2009 and beyond, set baselines and targets, and trial data collection methods.
In the meantime, there is no indicator for this intermediate outcome.
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