The Green Party has pledged to scrap the Government’s proposed Conservation Amendment Bill if elected, promising instead to rewrite New Zealand’s conservation laws with stronger protections for public conservation land and greater recognition of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The commitment, announced as part of the party’s 2026 election manifesto, would see the Greens halt the current legislation and begin a new reform process centred on conservation, indigenous-led stewardship and reversing nature loss.
“Our public conservation land is not the Government’s to sell,” Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said.
“It belongs to all of us, and to the generations who come after us.”
Davidson says the current reforms prioritise commercial interests over environmental protection.
“This Government is rewriting the purpose of the Conservation Act so it serves developers instead of nature. We will undo that, close the door to selling off conservation land, and start the reform process again, this time built for future generations rather than commercial interests.”
Under the policy, the Greens would stop the Conservation Amendment Bill, restore stronger legal protections around the disposal of conservation land, remove any requirement for the Department of Conservation to enable commercial development, strengthen the role of conservation boards and the New Zealand Conservation Authority, and place greater emphasis on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and iwi-led stewardship.
She says any future conservation reforms should place Te Tiriti o Waitangi and tangata whenua at the centre of conservation management.
“Tangata whenua have cared for these lands, rivers and lakes for generations. A system that gives effect to Te Tiriti and resources indigenous-led stewardship is one that protects nature for the long haul, not just the next electoral cycle.”
Davidson also framed the debate as one about the long-term future of public conservation land.
“This Government is looking at our conservation land and seeing a balance sheet. We look at it and see the inheritance of every child in this country.”
She said public opposition to the Bill continues to grow.
“Nearly 50,000 people have signed our petition to protect conservation land, and polling shows 64 per cent of New Zealanders do not support selling it off.”
Potaka rejects ‘sell-off’ claims
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka has strongly rejected those claims, accusing critics of misrepresenting both the Bill and the Government’s intentions.
“There’s no way we’re going to sell off large swathes or large parcels of land in the conservation estate. We’re not going to do that. National is never going to do that.”
“And it’s spurious, scandalous, scurrilous and mischievous of people to accuse us of doing this.”
“The Conservation Amendment Bill doesn’t provide for that. There is no plan or programme for that.”
Potaka told Te Ao Māori News much of the criticism ignores what the Bill is actually trying to achieve.
At one point he quipped critics needed to “separate the kombucha from the coffee.”
Instead, he says the reforms are intended to modernise the conservation system and clarify existing disposal processes that have been used under previous governments.
“What we’ve got is small parcels around the place that do not have much biodiversity upside. They don’t have conservation infrastructure requirements. They’re not heritage or recreation places.
“There are some pieces of land and properties on the conservation estate that probably should be put up for consideration of disposal.”
The Minister pointed to examples such as unused DOC buildings and isolated parcels of land that consume departmental resources despite having little conservation value.
Greens say the Bill weakens protections
Davidson says the Minister is either misunderstanding or downplaying the implications of his own legislation.
“The Minister does not seem to understand his own bill at all.
“The bill is clear that it opens up five million hectares of public conservation land. That’s 60 per cent of public conservation land, to be developed or to be disposed of.”
She argues existing legislation already allows genuinely low-value land to be disposed of and says there is no need to weaken protections for the wider conservation estate.
“If he wants to protect the very precious pieces of land that people around Aotearoa are up in arms about, then he should amend his proposal and his bill.”
Mining and commercial development
Environmental groups, including Greenpeace, have argued the Conservation Amendment Bill should be viewed alongside the Government’s wider push to expand mining and resource development.
Greenpeace this week released an interactive map highlighting the overlap between known mineral deposits and public conservation land, claiming the reforms would make it easier to commercially exploit or dispose of conservation land while the Government pursues an aggressive mining agenda.
The organisation has also pointed to comments from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon that the Bill could help “unleash economic growth” on conservation land, alongside Resources Minister Shane Jones’ comments that parts of the conservation estate should be exploited.
Potaka rejects those links.
“Any suggestion that this is all about mining has got nothing to do with the actual facts.”
He notes mining on conservation land already occurs under the Crown Minerals Act and says the Conservation Amendment Bill does not change the laws governing mining approvals.
Davidson says the broader direction of the Government cannot be ignored.
“He is starting to backtrack his language, which shows he is under pressure.
“This is a party who wants to fast-track mining, seabed mining and exploitation that will destroy habitats and sometimes irreparably.”
“So he has got no place to stand when he tries to call the National Party a party of conservation.”
Disagreement extends to iwi and Treaty settlements
Views continue to differ over whether the Bill could improve pathways for iwi to regain culturally significant sites within the conservation estate.
Potaka says existing legislative processes can be cumbersome and believes the reforms could make it easier for iwi to receive small areas of cultural significance.
“Sometimes we need to make sure that there are pathways actually for iwi and others to receive that land.
“I believe that there are a lot of iwi groups who have sites of significance, pā sites, urupā and a range of small areas and parcels of land that they would like to look after, manage and own.”
Davidson says the Greens support the return of conservation land to iwi and hapū, but says the Government is using that argument to defend a much broader reform agenda.
“The Greens would welcome that.”
“We have a long-standing position of wanting to see better partnership between iwi, hapū and the Department of Conservation, of wanting to see the return of conservation land to iwi and hapū.”
However, she accused the Minister of using those aspirations as political cover.
“I’m embarrassed for him that he is hiding behind Iwi for what is essentially a bill being driven by corporate greed.”
Submissions on the Conservation Amendment Bill close on July 2.
