NZCA Conservation management strategy assessment standard (2021)
These are the standards against which the NZCA will assess each conservation management strategy (CMS) whilst undertaking its procedure for consideration of CMSs.

Adopted 2013
Reviewed and amended December 2021

This standard is to be read in conjunction with the NZCA Procedure for consideration of CMSs and Management Plans (2021).


  1. Approve the revised NZCA Procedure for the consideration of statutory management planning documents (see attachment);
  2. Note the NZCA content and format check sheet previously provided to conservation boards and the Department for use when they are developing statutory management planning documents for NZCA approval;
  3. Agree that the best practice standard is for all members to read each CMS as a whole;
  4. Agree that each member will review and provide comments on ‘Part One – Region’, ‘Part Three – Implementation, monitoring and reporting’, and at least one place in ‘Part Two – Places’ (places will be allocated to members at an NZCA meeting);
  5. Agree that all members may provide comments on each CMS as a whole;
  6. Appoint a committee for each CMS as the review commences for the purposes of considering the CMS and supporting papers in detail and making a recommendation to the NZCA for its approval; the Committee to include the liaison member for the relevant conservation board(s);
  7. Appoint a convenor for the committee;
  8. Delegate to each committee all the tasks necessary to complete the NZCA’s consideration of a CMS excluding its approval;
  9. Require each committee to formally report to the NZCA as to progress, as appropriate, and advise it of any matters of significance about which the Committee has consulted the conservation board, the Department, or/and tangata whenua;
  10. Agree to review its approval process after it has approved the first CMS to determine whether any amendments to its processes are warranted prior to considering subsequent conservation management strategies