Advice on Statutory Planning and Budgetary Considerations

To: Penny Nelson, Director-General of Conservation 
Date: 17 October 2022

The Authority’s Management Planning Committee met with Departmental staff on 20 September, and engaged in an excellent conversation on current priorities of the Planning, Permissions, and Land Team. Upon discussions turning to budgets, however, members were deeply concerned to learn that there is currently no budget set aside for current statutory planning processes¹ to be notified in this financial year.

Although the Authority was encouraged to hear of the recent and ongoing recruitment efforts for the team, it became clear that their capital investment bid for a submission database will be crucial to success in the future.

It has been openly acknowledged that statutory plans should guide the core of the Department’s mandated work to achieve its strategic vision to ensure ecosystems and species on public conservation land are thriving for future generations. It is equally important to note the significant role of statutory planning in Crown-Māori relations, and for the Department to be an honourable Treaty partner that delivers on promises made by the Crown in good faith.

Unfortunately, despite the significance of its role, statutory planning has suffered a lack of prioritisation under previous Directors-General of Conservation, with a skeletal team operating with insufficient systems for far too long; the consequences of which have been far reaching and continue to be exacerbated.

The Authority encourages support for the team’s budgetary bid for a submission database, to ensure the resourcing of statutory planning is underpinned by a system that works and the team is able to deliver across its wide remit of work.

1. Te Hiku and Bay of Plenty Conservation Management Strategies, Rangitahi/Molesworth Recreation Reserve Conservation Management Plan, and Canterbury Aoraki National Park Management Plan