Annual reporting of search and surveillance power year ending June 2019

Context

DOC must enforce laws that conserve New Zealand's natural and historic heritage.

DOC is the government agency charged with conserving New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage. This conservation role includes legislative responsibilities for New Zealand’s conservation matters under a significant number of Acts of Parliament.

To effectively administer this legislation, DOC is charged with carrying out a compliance and law enforcement function spread across a wide range of geographic and species related legislation set in place to protect our wildlife, flora and fauna, both terrestrial and marine.

In carrying out the compliance and law enforcement function DOC must comply with the Search and Surveillance Act 2012, section 171 that relates to reporting the exercise of an entry power, a search power, or a surveillance power while carrying out law enforcement activities.

Key findings for the year ending June 2019

Section 171(a) - the number of occasions on which entry or search powers were exercised without a warrant: 10 (ten)

Section 171(b) - the number of occasions on which warrantless surveillance powers were exercised in the period covered by the report that involved the use of a surveillance device: 1 (one)

Section 171(c) - in respect of each kind of surveillance device used without a warrant in the period covered by the report, the numbers of that kind of device used :-
 (i) for a period of no more than 24 hours: 0 (Nil)
(ii) for a period of more than 24 hours but no more than 48 hours: 0 (Nil)

Section 171(d) - the number of persons charged in criminal proceedings where the collection of evidential material relevant to those proceedings was significantly assisted by the exercise of a warrantless search or surveillance power in the period covered by the report: 1 (One)

These findings cover the year from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019 and are compiled from a survey of District Offices that carry out a compliance and law enforcement function for the Department of Conservation.

Hilary Aikman
Director National Operations