Amending the purpose of the Conservation Act 1987
This supplementary analysis report provides a retrospective analysis of Cabinet-directed amendments to the purpose-related provisions of the Conservation Act 1987.

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Supplementary analysis report: Amending the purpose of the Conservation Act 1987 (PDF, 5,538K)

Summary

This report provides retrospective analysis to support two previous Cabinet decisions relating to the purpose-related provisions of the Conservation Act 1987:

  • In June 2025, Cabinet directed the Minister of Conservation to amend the purpose statement of the Conservation Act to ensure that wider reforms to the conservation land management system enable greater economic development on conservation land (CAB-25-MIN-0213.01).
  • In September 2025, the Minister of Conservation reported-back to Cabinet, signalling his preferred approach to the amendments. Cabinet noted the Minister of Conservation intended to make targeted changes to parts of the Conservation Act that form the existing ‘purpose architecture’ (CAB-25-MIN-0334.01).

This report analyses the Minister of Conservation’s preferred approach to amending the purpose-related provisions of the Conservation Act.

The preferred approach involves three targeted changes. Together these changes would:

  • change the Department of Conservation’s functions to include economic development, where it is not inconsistent with conservation; and
  • allow the National Conservation Policy Statement and area plans to enable economic development where it is not inconsistent with conservation.