DOC was formed in 1987 when the Conservation Act was passed to integrate conservation management functions. This Act sets out the majority of DOC's responsibilities and roles.
DOC has a particular responsibility under section 4 of the Conservation Act to interpret and administer the Act to give effect to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. This involves building and supporting effective conservation partnerships with tangata whenua at the local level.
There is also specific legislation for such things as wildlife, reserves and national parks.
This page provides information on how DOC develops legislation, DOC administered primary and secondary legislation, and other Acts under which DOC has powers, functions and duties.
Developing legislation
Regulatory Impact Statements (or “RIS”) provide information on the range of feasible options when legislation is created or amended.
View Regulatory Impact Statements developed by DOC
Primary legislation
DOC administers 30 in force principal Acts of Parliament. You can access the current version of the following Acts on the New Zealand Legislation website:
- Canterbury Provincial Buildings Vesting Act 1928
- Conservation Act 1987
- Conservation Law Reform Act 1990
- Freedom Camping Act 2011
- Game Animal Council Act 2013
- Harbour Boards Dry Land Endowment Revesting Act 1991
- Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act 2025
- Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act 2000
- Kaikōura (Te Tai o Marokura) Marine Management Act 2014
- Kapiti Island Public Reserve Act 1987
- Lake Wanaka Preservation Act 1973
- Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978
- Marine Reserves Act 1971
- National Parks Act 1980
- Native Plants Protection Act 1934
- Queen Elizabeth the Second National Trust Act 1977
- Reserves Act 1977
- Stewart Island Reserves Empowering Act 1976
- Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Act 2014
- Sugar Loaf Islands Marine Protected Area Act 1991
- Te Urewera Act 2014
- Trade in Endangered Species Act 1989
- Tutae-Ka-Wetoweto Forest Act 2001
- Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008
- Waitangi Endowment Act 1932-33
- Waitangi National Trust Board Act 1932
- Waitutu Block Settlement Act 1997
- Wanganui River Trust Act 1891
- Wild Animal Control Act 1977
- Wildlife Act 1953
DOC also administers 54 in force amendment Acts (which are incorporated into the current version of the principal Act above).
The Minister of Conservation, the Director-General or DOC have powers, functions and duties under the following Acts administered by other agencies:
- Biosecurity Act 1993
- Crown Forest Assets Act 1989
- Crown Minerals Act 1991
- Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998
- Fisheries Act 1996
- Forest and Rural Fires Act 1977
- Forests Act 1949
- Land Act 1948
- Local Government Act 1974
- Local Government Act 2002
- Maori Land Amendment and Maori Land Claims Adjustment Act 1926
- Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011
- Maritime Transport Act 1994
- Natural and Built Environment Act 2023
- Ngāi Tahu (Tūtaepatu Lagoon Vesting) Act 1998
- Public Works Act 1981
- Queenstown Reserves Vesting and Empowering Act 1971
- Resource Management Act 1991
- A significant number of Treaty Settlement Acts
Secondary legislation
“Secondary legislation” is a collective term for law made under (as opposed to in) an Act of Parliament or under certain prerogative powers. It replaces concepts such as delegated, subordinate, or tertiary legislation, and includes things like regulations, most Orders in Council, class (and some individual) exemptions, various types of notices, bylaws, and instruments with many different names.
An instrument is only secondary legislation made under a provision of an Act (called an empowering provision) if the Act (or any other legislation) states that instruments made under the empowering provision are secondary legislation. This creates a clear distinction between secondary legislation and other types of instruments.
Under the Legislation Act 2019 and the proposed Legislation Amendment Bill, administering agencies such as DOC will have an obligation to publish all secondary legislation drafted by DOC on our website.
Policies and guidelines
These are documents are not legislation, but they help guide those exercising statutory power under the legislation.
This 2008 guideline helps surveyors identify water bodies that will qualify for marginal strips when the Crown is disposing of the adjoining land.