Introductory letter
26 November 2008
Hon Tim Groser
Minister of Conservation
Parliament Buildings
WELLINGTON
Dear Minister
Congratulations on your appointment as Minister of Conservation. As chairperson of your primary statutory advisor I very much look forward to meeting you and introducing the New Zealand Conservation Authority, its members and its functions.
I will assume that your briefing to date from the Department of Conservation has focussed on pressing conservation issues, amongst which I would be surprised if the Authority featured. Therefore I will provide you a brief introduction here.
New Zealand has had a long history of formal citizen input into the management of protected lands particularly with the current suite of statutory bodies put in place in 1990. They are the New Zealand Conservation Authority and the fourteen regional conservation boards, along with the NZ Fish and Game Council (with which we liaise) and the twelve regional fish and game councils (with which the conservation boards liaise) that have a particular responsibility for sports fish and game birds. Significantly the members of these bodies are drawn from the ordinary citizens of the country.
Having said "ordinary" I wish to commend to you the current Authority membership which was appointed in June this year for a three year term. They are people who are leaders in their fields, with a wide range of experience, interests and skills. I think that you can feel confident that wisdom and insight as well as commitment to the best interests of conservation and the community are evident in the Authority's deliberations, decisions and advice. The Authority is well able to give you sound and independent advice to complement the advice that you receive from the Department of Conservation.
To expand a little, the Authority's members are all appointed by the Minister of Conservation but s/he is directed by the Conservation Act to consult the Minister of Tourism (2 members), the Minister of Maori Affairs 200 (2 members), the Minister of Local Government (1 member), Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu (1 member), Royal Society of New Zealand (1 member), Royal Forest and Bird Society of New Zealand (1 member), and Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand (1 member). In addition four members are appointed after the receipt of nominations from the public. This structure ensures that the Authority membership is representative of the community but at the same time no member represents any person or organisation. Once appointed as an Authority member their duty is to the Authority, the discharge of its functions, and the attainment of the purposes of the Acts under which it operates.
The attachment to this letter identifies some issues that we consider are important and wish to flag with you from the outset.
The Authority next meets in Wellington on 10 and 11 December 2008 and then 8 and 9 April 2009 and invites you to meet with it on any of these days or on either Wednesday evening for dinner. We would like to discuss our key issues with you and hear your conservation priorities for the next three years. Meanwhile I will be in touch with your office to make an appointment to introduce myself personally to you.
Yours sincerely
Don Ross
Chairperson
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