The 70-year-old Wildlife Act will be replaced with modern, fit-for-purpose legislation to better protect native species and improve biodiversity, Minister of Conservation Willow-Jean Prime has announced. 

“New species legislation is urgently needed to address New Zealand’s biodiversity crisis,” says Prime.

“More than 4000 of our native species are currently threatened, with some at risk of extinction.  A new Act will help to address threats they face, including impacts from climate change, invasive species and habitat loss.” 

Sunday's announcement follows a Department of Conservation review which determined that the current Act lacked a clear purpose and didn’t effectively protect at-risk or threatened species.

As one example, not all native species are currently covered by the Act. 

 Repealing and replacing the existing Act will follow a standard legislative process during the next parliamentary term.  

“The DOC review reinforced strong support for reforming the Wildlife Act and a shared vision for native species and their habitats,” says Prime.  

“This is something the community has been calling for, and we are committed to ensuring taonga are taken care of for future generations.” 

An independent Strategic Oversight Group also provided advice and valuable input into the DOC review.  Group members have diverse skills and expertise in te ao Māori, conservation, law, environmental policy, tourism, science, game animal management and governance.  

“Their expert advice and DOC’s analysis of the Wildlife Act identified that replacement of the Act would achieve greater protection of species and improved biodiversity outcomes.  

“I thank all those who have participated so far and provided perspectives that have informed the review of the Wildlife Act.” 

The next steps are as follows: 

• DOC will now develop policy advice for the Minister of Conservation to report to Cabinet in early 2024.  
• Policy advice will cover the potential approach for a new species-related act, including its general purpose and key elements of its framework.  
• The Strategic Oversight Group will continue its role to provide advice and input for this reporting back process.  
• Following the report back to Cabinet, DOC intends to carry out public consultation on the proposed approach and framework for the new Act. 
• DOC will also carry out parallel work to determine where targeted amendments could be made to other conservation legislation to address high-priority problems and enable the conservation system to function better.