<
https://theconversation.com/nzs-overhaul-of-nature-protection-laws-is-a-chance-to-move-away-from-fortress-conservation-286647>
"Fierce opposition from environmental organisations and the outdoor recreation
sector has forced the government to backflip on one of the most contentious
proposed changes in its reform plan for conservation management.
Earlier this month, Minister for Conservation Tama Potaka told a conference he
would remove a controversial clause from the
Conservation Amendment Bill that
would have allowed more conservation land to be sold.
But the bill contains other, no less concerning changes. This includes the
proposal of a new “economic opportunity” function for the Department of
Conservation (DOC), requiring it to:
recognise the economic opportunities that arise from the use and development
of land and other resources managed by the department, and to enable this
use and development to the greatest extent practicable.
The reforms would also relegate the New Zealand Conservation Authority and
regional conservation boards to mere advisory bodies and give the minister
broad powers to make policies to deliver on the government’s development
agenda.
We argue that reform of the conservation system in a settler-colonial country
such as Aotearoa New Zealand raises inevitable questions about who gets to
decide where and how conservation lands are protected, and whose values guide
the process."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
