RSS feed to media releases from the Department of Conservation website.bf9607b8-c7af-4dee-8fb7-62af9f9cf727New Zealand Department of Conservation2026-09-11T17:10:06+12:0014e8ed42-6941-4ba0-9c46-0c0790b05428

DOC has announced a 10-year moratorium on new marine mammal permits in the Banks Peninsula/Te Pātāka-o-Rākaihautū area.

2026-09-11T00:00:00+12:002026-09-11T00:00:00+12:00536a8d3a-cb4d-4339-b666-335fe6195b10

The Government is strengthening support for New Zealand’s treasured backcountry hut and track network through the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between DOC and the Backcountry Trust, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka has announced.

2026-09-11T00:00:00+12:002026-09-11T00:00:00+12:0049218f34-5832-4989-a7d5-802d95b6e97a

Conservation Week 2027 has been confirmed for 19–25 April, so it’s time to start assembling your team and thinking about what you can do for nature.

2026-09-10T00:00:00+12:002026-09-10T00:00:00+12:00f1a6f2ef-ffec-4c5a-8c6a-3ba6744447e6

A decapitated dolphin has been found on a Coromandel beach, prompting Department of Conservation staff to call for information from the public.

2026-09-10T00:00:00+12:002026-09-10T00:00:00+12:0093f46ef5-eaa7-4867-aab7-9994017d654a

A southern right whale and her calf spotted off the Northland coast have made their way south, prompting the DOC to ask boaties to take extra care around marine wildlife when naturing on the water.

2026-09-10T00:00:00+12:002026-09-10T00:00:00+12:009285cfb8-f16f-44f8-b74a-b83bdf9c7166

The first toroa/royal albatross chicks have left their nests and launched into 5-year adventures across the world’s oceans.

2026-09-08T00:00:00+12:002026-09-08T00:00:00+12:008c231857-9da3-4e0a-b066-974258172b17

A lone leopard seal drew attention in Lower Hutt this past weekend, resting on Petone Beach before returning to the sea early Monday morning.

2026-09-07T16:00:00+12:002026-09-07T16:00:00+12:003535a351-4cfd-4c3d-9a94-e4840b0aaefd

A recently formed community group is helping to supercharge DOC's compliance work at Tasman Bay’s two marine reserves.

2026-09-07T09:00:00+12:002026-09-07T09:00:00+12:00e85b04e8-7848-4bd8-b1a9-cddaf08e8e3c

The full Tongariro Northern Circuit will operate as a loop this summer, but setbacks in construction of the new Oturere Hut have delayed the hut’s opening until mid-December.

2026-09-04T00:00:00+12:002026-09-04T00:00:00+12:00f084bc46-edf1-4ca0-af57-be3f659cfe49

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka has announced two new International Visitor Levy (IVL) investments while in the Waikato, today — funding to protect the Whangamarino wetland, and further work to maximise breeding opportunities for the Māhoenui giant wētā at Otorohanga Kiwi House.

2026-09-04T00:00:00+12:002026-09-04T00:00:00+12:0010bbea85-3254-4f1a-9513-1eac91b6eb33

New monitoring work has revealed startling proof of possum damage to native mountain tōtara and kaikawaka/mountain cedar trees in a Mid Canterbury forest.

2026-09-03T00:00:00+12:002026-09-03T00:00:00+12:009419a585-0f62-4ed1-b7e9-7a13a26409f4

A full closure of Wairere Falls Track, carpark and toilets will allow completion of works and reopening in time for summer naturing.

2026-09-03T00:00:00+12:002026-09-03T00:00:00+12:0046a95ea1-867e-437e-a709-70afa8bce334

The official population of the critically endangered kākāpō has reached a recovery-era high of 325 birds.

2026-09-01T10:00:00+12:002026-09-01T10:00:00+12:001da11ee2-d748-46b4-b67d-56b7d911881d

DOC's only commercial nursery is trying to restore the Canterbury Plains and Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū/Banks Peninsula, one native plant at a time.

2026-09-01T09:00:00+12:002026-09-01T09:00:00+12:0032768e5d-d5fb-4a37-beb7-e0b9c35d5885

More than 53,000 hunting permits have been issued through a new self-service online system, surpassing projections and slashing administrative staff work, Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager says.

2026-08-29T16:00:00+12:002026-08-29T16:00:00+12:00c95da7c2-c3bd-4ab8-97c1-c71899ed40bb

A coordinated approach for Ruahine wild goat control operations has indicated significant reduction in numbers, another step toward achieving zero-density goat populations in Ruahine Forest Park.

2026-08-27T00:00:00+12:002026-08-27T00:00:00+12:000c833cb3-4630-4c6d-9bd1-784ac34a8131

A four-year funding boost of $9.7 million, announced by Minister for Conservation Tama Potaka today, will help protect New Zealand’s national parks and native ecosystems from wild goats and deer.

2026-08-25T00:00:00+12:002026-08-25T00:00:00+12:0048c878b9-2385-467e-9ea2-beed25cee172

Three fishers have each been fined $600 after they were caught fishing inside the Whangārei Harbour Marine Reserve.

2026-08-24T15:00:00+12:002026-08-24T15:00:00+12:009af8d4d0-6595-496c-9ef3-98e56544ed60

DOC is urging whitebaiters to help keep waterways pest-free this whitebaiting season by following Check, Clean, Dry advice.

2026-08-24T12:00:00+12:002026-08-24T12:00:00+12:0005c154cf-a9c7-483e-a216-44b14aae5009

DOC is using high-resolution satellite images to detect the pest plant Cuscuta campestris (commonly known as golden dodder) within the Whangamarino wetland and at Lake Whangape.

2026-08-24T10:00:00+12:002026-08-24T10:00:00+12:0031da0886-a155-4309-b2d6-3f6d5b11a845

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka today announced $9.2 million of DOC Community Fund funding will go to 20 community groups delivering conservation projects across New Zealand.

2026-08-19T09:00:00+12:002026-08-19T09:00:00+12:002b2e2e54-331b-4ada-ac83-9c9401acc048

Te Taumutu Rūnanga will be able to advance its plans to restore the wetland area of Muriwai o Whata (Coopers Lagoon) thanks to recently announced funding of $521,733 from the DOC’s Community Fund.

2026-08-19T00:00:00+12:002026-08-19T00:00:00+12:00f1c56897-eb5d-4fc3-a90e-daf23cd18d26

DOC is calling for information from the public after discovering serious damage from vehicles to Klondyke Corner Campsite, a significant area in Arthur’s Pass National Park.

2026-08-19T00:00:00+12:002026-08-19T00:00:00+12:00a1e85e97-ef7b-40bd-94fe-b07f8957a4f5

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka has announced $1.7 million in funding from the 2026 DOC Community Fund for two projects on Rēkohu Wharekauri Chatham Islands.

2026-08-18T00:00:00+12:002026-08-18T00:00:00+12:00c25d036e-6d65-495d-b1cd-377deeebb666

Ngāi Tūāhuriri has placed a rāhui over their customary whitebait season this year, which will continue until further notice.

2026-08-17T15:00:00+12:002026-08-17T15:00:00+12:006b3eb9ad-af58-4cca-b067-9fe578fdbd48

DOC staff have met with Hahei Residents and Ratepayers Association (HRRA) for the first discussions on the opportunity to partner on reinstatement of the Hahei Beach Short Walk.

2026-08-14T12:00:00+12:002026-08-14T12:00:00+12:00d4a05bad-0bce-4686-ab0f-af7219600b64

The Government has approved a revised National Plan of Action to strengthen the conservation and sustainable management of sharks in New Zealand, says Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka.

2026-08-14T00:00:00+12:002026-08-14T00:00:00+12:000e4657b2-e588-4b9e-aaa7-97afb6652bef

Monitoring of long-tailed bats/pekapeka near the Heaphy Track in Kahurangi National Park has shown a tripling of bat activity due to effective ground-based and aerial predator control.

2026-08-13T00:00:00+12:002026-08-13T00:00:00+12:005eb5cfaf-d312-4d26-adb8-771351b82809

DOC is reminding the public to take precautions on difficult “off track” adventures following the release of a coroner's report into the death of a woman in the Arthurs Pass National Park in October 2021.

2026-08-12T00:00:00+12:002026-08-12T00:00:00+12:0020abc617-83fe-4783-aee5-6cff889a1581

More than $1 million in Government funding will help restore some of Taranaki’s rarest coastal habitat and protect kōkako in the region’s north-east, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

2026-08-11T00:00:00+12:002026-08-11T00:00:00+12:00544303e7-a1ad-4266-9b48-75a783c36b0c

Spotting a shy duck in river rapids has become much easier, thanks to a trial project using thermal drones to find threatened whio in the Tongariro area.

2026-08-11T00:00:00+12:002026-08-11T00:00:00+12:00da8b5dec-fcbd-44f2-89f4-435d12840aed

Sponges and black corals are among the spectacular species filmed by researchers surveying the underwater depths of rocky reefs in the Hauraki Gulf / Tīpaka Moana.

2026-08-10T17:00:00+12:002026-08-10T17:00:00+12:008a18ce72-5922-4eea-b78e-2455bf820cf6

Herpetologists are excited at sightings of the rare Canterbury spotted skink in a place the lizards haven’t been seen in more than 50 years.

2026-08-10T00:00:00+12:002026-08-10T00:00:00+12:000ba127bc-f21e-4d3a-abad-96cccf67807b

People heading to launch boats at Sulphur Point this week found the centre lane occupied – by a sleepy leopard seal with no intention of budging.

2026-08-06T14:00:00+12:002026-08-06T14:00:00+12:000681e934-643f-4d07-8a0a-3e8db92cc54a

Two of New Zealand’s most threatened bird species have been recognised in a global effort to bring 100 of the world’s endangered species back from the brink of extinction.

2026-08-06T13:00:00+12:002026-08-06T13:00:00+12:00a9720926-1bba-4b8f-8aa0-66765e319643

A sighting of a young kiwi at Ngā Roto-o-Rangataua is being recognised as an exciting breakthrough – the first kiwi heard of at Rangatauanui.

2026-08-06T00:00:00+12:002026-08-06T00:00:00+12:000c595bd1-4f77-40d5-b7b9-9e399484f26e

Two native species found nowhere else on Earth are getting help to survive, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

2026-08-04T12:00:00+12:002026-08-04T12:00:00+12:0063d8ffcf-5904-478c-ac66-408013c6ae03

‘Love zones’ are helping threatened īnanga recover from Cyclone Gabrielle, with delighted DOC rangers finding clutches of īnanga eggs in these artificial spawning grounds.

2026-08-03T16:00:00+12:002026-08-03T16:00:00+12:00014aa0a3-f8fe-43d3-9ade-9ef66171a020

The car park at popular marine reserve at Te Hāwere-a-Maki / Goat Island in Leigh will be the next DOC site to introduce paid parking, following the successful pilot at three South Island locations.

2026-08-03T15:00:00+12:002026-08-03T15:00:00+12:004dda8b30-4473-4c5d-ad22-3c0b80b6a90f

Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager has issued a call to action to Kiwis, encouraging people to get behind the mission to control wild goat numbers and help protect New Zealand’s landscapes.

2026-08-01T00:00:00+12:002026-08-01T00:00:00+12:005d0097ac-ec58-4585-b9cc-b48400a1e45e

Ngāi Tahu Farming has been chosen as the preferred farming operator for iconic Molesworth Recreation Reserve.

2026-07-31T00:00:00+12:002026-07-31T00:00:00+12:00fab6e8f4-9d70-403d-bcc2-7a8934f2f4d5

A smoother Mountains to Sea – Ngā Ara Tūhono Great Ride experience is coming for visitors, with 15 new structures – bridges and boardwalks – on the way for the Mangapurua and Kaiwhakauka sections.

2026-07-30T00:00:00+12:002026-07-30T00:00:00+12:009ea9dd73-99f5-49cc-8261-e9258b99e1d3

Dianne and Selwyn June are testament to the adage that in retirement "you end one job but find yourself doing several more".

2026-07-30T00:00:00+12:002026-07-30T00:00:00+12:00fd8a0a65-5126-4f9e-abc5-fe64ba7217f1

Otago is the latest region to benefit from the Government’s next phase of Predator Free 2050, with a $3.9 million investment to expand successful predator elimination around Dunedin, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

2026-07-29T00:00:00+12:002026-07-29T00:00:00+12:005ba86c34-817a-407e-b3c8-e69e3361a718

Tama Blackburn sees himself as a weaver, bringing together the many strands of passion and care for the Pureora Forest Park and surrounding areas, to produce something everyone is proud of.

2026-07-29T00:00:00+12:002026-07-29T00:00:00+12:0009111908-3d37-43b4-8945-b0121572dab9

Warm and welcoming – that’s the new feel at Whakapapa Holiday Park lodge following a major refresh signalling a new era of investment in Whakapapa Village and Tongariro National Park.

2026-07-27T14:00:00+12:002026-07-27T14:00:00+12:00b33b6c4b-c72d-4ad1-9528-18b4b40529c3

DOC will explore alternatives to the removal of the Hahei Short Walk as part of ongoing discussions with a local community group.

2026-07-24T00:00:00+12:002026-07-24T00:00:00+12:00862587e6-0188-4b18-b32b-b66fe54d4a4a

The eagerly anticipated new suspension bridge up the Hooker Valley at Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park will open to the public on the afternoon of Tuesday July 28.

2026-07-22T00:00:00+12:002026-07-22T00:00:00+12:007bce70da-d620-4603-8172-58c71177db3d

Alan Saunders was a 9-year-old boy with the Hamilton Junior Naturalists Club when he first heard the haunting call of the kōkako.

2026-07-21T00:00:00+12:002026-07-21T00:00:00+12:00c154528d-2557-4b96-a62b-c823fde3f4ee

Close to 70 tonnes of concrete has been poured ready to hold a new suspension bridge in place on the lower Tongariro River in Tūrangi.

2026-07-21T00:00:00+12:002026-07-21T00:00:00+12:00e00292a8-472f-45b0-996a-c8268be619af

With the second case of H5 bird flu confirmed in a kāhu / harrier hawk in the Wairarapa yesterday, DOC has moved the region to a higher alert status.

2026-07-18T09:00:00+12:002026-07-18T09:00:00+12:001e2ef9c4-3138-4c54-8359-5d9ed47b95b7

Work on the ground will step up after confirmation today a single Kāhu, swamp harrier hawk, which was found in the Wairarapa, is the second bird in New Zealand confirmed to have H5 bird flu, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard and Conservation Minister Tama Potaka.

2026-07-17T16:00:00+12:002026-07-17T16:00:00+12:00a19a6fdd-afbb-4266-9a77-232fed21828f

DOC has plans in place and is closely monitoring the situation following the detection of H5 bird flu in a single migratory brown skua yesterday.

2026-07-16T00:00:00+12:002026-07-16T00:00:00+12:008eb7ba6c-3264-44e6-9111-f884a0dc46b0

DOC Manawatū rangers are thinking outside the box when it comes to removing invasive plants from the wetlands of Horowhenua.

2026-07-15T11:00:00+12:002026-07-15T11:00:00+12:00b0d1732a-c536-42a4-98a1-3a79467f80ae

New Zealand’s valued sika deer in the Kaimanawa and Kaweka Forest Parks have been designated as the North Island’s first ever Herd of Special Interest (HOSI).

2026-07-15T00:00:00+12:002026-07-15T00:00:00+12:00b0053630-9085-4d52-91d2-998fea680269

A key road leading into Kahurangi National Park has reopened earlier than expected, after significant repairs were completed ahead of schedule.

2026-07-15T00:00:00+12:002026-07-15T00:00:00+12:00fda98622-b033-4112-a099-64c31ae0779d

Conservation dogs Pip and Ash have secured their re-certification by helping Whanganui rangers locate endangered whio/blue duck in the Retaruke River.

2026-07-14T00:00:00+12:002026-07-14T00:00:00+12:00