Advice on budget priorities for Financial Year 2023-24

To: Hon Poto Williams, Minister of Conservation, Penny Nelson, Director-General of Conservation 
Date: 16 January 2023

One of the functions of the New Zealand Conservation Authority / Te Pou Atawhai Taiao o Aotearoa (Authority), under section 6B(1)(h) of the Conservation Act 1987, is to advise the Minister and the Director-General of Conservation annually on priorities for the expenditure of money.

As such, at each December meeting, the Authority discusses areas that it considers a priority for the expenditure of money for the upcoming financial year, so that these can be considered at the onset of the decision-making phase of the Department’s budgeting and business planning processes.

At its December 2022 meeting, there was considerable discussion regarding the insufficient funds for conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Authority strongly agree with Penny Nelson’s approach to ensuring the political sphere understands the true value of conservation and our environment, and support her initiative to explore this by way of ‘nature-based solutions’ for climate change.

Please find attached the areas that the Authority agree will be most crucial to be considered in the preparation of the Department’s budget for the 2023-24 financial year.

NZCA advice to the Minister and the Director-General of Conservation on priorities for the annual expenditure of money (Financial Year 2023-24):

The Authority are highly concerned by the severe lack of investment in the conservation sector, and agree that the Government must be made aware of the true value of conservation, and its responsibilities to future generations; this will require focus on science, nature-based solutions, and wellbeing to align to Budget 2023 priorities. As such, in the coming financial year, the Department must ensure its expenditure is focused on its core functions, and in priority areas that will enable conservation value to be realised.

Biodiversity and climate change crises

Science investment, predator control, and continued prioritisation of Te Mana o te Taiao / Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy Biodiversity (TMoTT) will be crucial to ensure gains in this area, and to support future budget bids.

In order to realise TMoTT, and to better understand the role of conservation in climate change mitigation and adaptation, adequate funding for monitoring and data collection will be crucial. There will need to be hard lines drawn, and difficult decisions made in the near future, which will require data for sound decision-making and public and political support.

Statutory management planning

Statutory planning is the core mechanism the Department should be utilising to fulfil its statutory function, to properly administer public conservation land and waters for all New Zealanders. The Authority strongly urge the Department to prioritise investment in this area in the coming financial year, including improvements to the permitting system, which will also promote sound science and data collection.

The Authority was deeply disappointed with the process and quality of the EDS review, delivered in incomplete draft form in December 2022. There is little value in its findings and few recommendations that can be made within the current legislative framework. The Authority will continue to work closely with the Department on potential approaches for timely statutory management planning reviews; the Department must ensure it is financially able to explore alternate approaches to management planning within the constraints of our current system.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi / Treaty of Waitangi obligations and section 4

The Authority is encouraged by the appointment of Tame Malcolm, as DD-G Treaty Relations, and the investment in establishing Kaihautū roles across the organisation. Growing the capability and capacity of the Tiers 4 and 5 staff will be important in the coming financial year, to enable the Department to integrate its section 4 responsibilities into its BAU. The Department must be funded to ensure that requirements of existing Treaty settlements can be met, and that relationships with Māori; iwi, hapū and whanau are those of genuine partnership.

Enabling others

The Department simply does not have the funds to do it all. The points raised above must all engage iwi and utilise interested parties, agencies, stakeholders, and communities; there is potential for great progress to be made through collaborative process in doing so. The Authority urges the Department to invest in its Treaty Partners, in its relationships across government, and with the science community, recreationalists, local communities, and conservation boards. The Department must utilise the external avenues available in order to be efficient and effective with its spending.

Conservation Law Reform

The Authority advise the Department to ensure it continue to focus resource on its reform programme of the conservation system. Although progress in the areas listed above must take place in the current legislative framework for the short to medium term; the continued investment in conservation law reform will be critical to positive outcomes in the future.