Advice on the Approval of the Otago CMS Partial Review

To: Hon Poto Williams, Minister of Conservation
Date: 28 June 2022

I am pleased to advise that, at its meeting on 16 and 17 June, the New Zealand Conservation Authority / Te Pou Atawhai Taiao o Aotearoa (Authority) moved to approve the draft Otago Conservation Management Strategy (CMS) partial review document. The purpose of the partial review was to allow the development of bike trails on public conservation land, something that was not possible under the existing CMS.

The Authority received the draft CMS partial review from the Otago Conservation Board, at its meeting on 15 October 2021. In its considerations, the Authority’s Otago CMS Committee found that the Department had not carried out adequate consultation with tramping clubs, as required by Policies 3.3.4 and 3.4.2 of the current Otago CMS, and sought to undertake this targeted consultation, as allowed for under section 17F(m) of the Conservation Act 1987 (Act), between February and March.

Following this consultation, the Authority sent the CMS partial review document to Minister Allan for consideration, in accordance with section 17F(n) of the Act, who responded with no further recommendations for the draft CMS. Accordingly, pursuant to section 17F(p)(i) of the Act, the Authority approves the Otago CMS partial review, which will become operative on 1 July 2022.

The Authority acknowledges all the hard work that has gone into the preparation of the CMS partial review, and looks forward to continuing to work with the Board and the Department in its implementation.