On this page you will find useful information on the Government's resource management reforms, what they mean for hunting and angling, their habitat, and where things stand now.

The Government has replaced the Resource Management Act with two new laws that do not properly recognise angling, game bird hunting, or the habitats our species depend on. The debate is not over, and there is a real chance to shape what comes next.

Fish & Game has made this case at every stage, and we are not stopping now. This is a moment for our whole community to stand together: anglers and game bird hunters from every region, the rural communities we are part of, and everyone who values healthy rivers, lakes and wetlands. Get in behind us and add your voice to the changes we are working for.

Our species and habitats were previously recognised. The Resource Management Act protected access, and also, under section 7, protected the habitat of trout and salmon as a key indicator species described as the "canary in the coal mine" for freshwater health. Trout represent a nationally important recreational resource and their habitat requirements is the best proxy for maintaining healthy freshwater environments.

We need two things: changes to the new Acts, and changes to the draft National Policy Direction.
You can help with both.

 

How you can help

There are two things you can do. Each one makes a difference, and you do not have to do all two.

1. Give feedback on the National Policy Direction.
The National Policy Direction (NPD) is how the government will set national priorities and direct how the new planning system works in practice. A draft is open for feedback and is your first chance to have a say before the formal consultation next year. Feedback closes at 11.59pm on Friday 16 October. Tell decision makers why angling and game bird hunting matter to you, and ask them to recognise the habitat, recreation and access our species depend on.
Give your feedback here

 

2. Contact your local MP and candidates.
Ask them to back the same changes. The more MPsand candidates hear directly from people the better the chance we can secure the changes we need.
Find and contact your local MP here

 

NPD: Why it matters

We have reviewed the draft National Policy Direction. It sets out draft directives across five themes: housing and development, infrastructure, primary production, resources, and public values. Angling, game bird hunting, recreation and our values have not been included. It does not yet fix the problems we have raised. Our main concerns are:

  • No recognition of our species' habitat. There is no explicit recognition of sports fish or game bird habitat, and no recognition of Fish & Game as a stakeholder in the decisions that affect them.
  • An indigenous biodiversity focus. The biodiversity framework will overlook important non-indigenous recreational species and habitats, and reduce the limits that protect them.
  • A highly enabling development framework. Housing, infrastructure, farming, forestry, mining and aquaculture all receive strong enabling direction, while our values are absent.
  • Environmental limits become critical. With little to protect our values in the National Policy Direction itself, habitat outcomes will largely depend on future environmental limits and standards rather than broad planning discretion.
  • Access protected but not enhanced. Existing access is supported, but private property rights are strongly prioritised.
  • Recreation is a secondary value. There is no dedicated recreation framework and no specific attention to recreational fishing or game bird hunting interests.

On the upside, the draft includes the term “reverse sensitivity” and lists shooting ranges among its examples, which helps protect ranges from encroaching development and complaining neighbours. Your feedback is how we build on the good and push back on the gaps.

 

The two new laws – why they matter

Thank you to everyone who submitted on the bills during the consultation. MPs are in no doubt about how much you value angling, game bird hunting, and the habitats our species depend on. The select committee made some changes but largely haven’t addressed our concerns.

Here is where things landed
  • Trout and salmon habitat. The Natural Environment Act requires limits to protect the life-supporting capacity of the natural environment, but the focus is only on indigenous species, not species like trout or salmon. The definition of ecosystem was widened to include introduced species, which was welcome, but that change did not carry through to life-supporting capacity, which still refers only to indigenous species. Because environmental limits are anchored to life-supporting capacity, local government councils will struggle to set limits that protect trout, salmon, or game bird habitat. The goals also do not specifically protect and enhance the habitat of trout, salmon and game birds.
  • Public access. The new laws do not include a clear goal promoting public access to rivers, lakes, wetlands, and the wider outdoors. We sought amendments to provide for enhancing access for angling and game bird hunting, including creating esplanade reserves when subdivisions are made.
  • Our management plans. The planning framework reduces the influence of Fish & Game's Sports Fish and Game Management Plans. New planning documents will not have to be consistent with these plans, so the habitat and recreational values in our plans may not feature in new plans and consenting decisions.
  • Wildlife permits. The laws set up a new system for wildlife approvals, where regional councils will be able to issue wildlife permits. That means agencies could make decisions about culling our species without drawing on the knowledge and monitoring information that Fish & Game holds.
  • The good news. Wetlands were given better recognition through amendments, clarifying that they sit within freshwater ecosystems. Water Conservation Orders, which protect some of New Zealand's most outstanding waterways, have been kept, and councils must now review and monitor how well they are working.

 

Read more

Fish & Game will keep advocating for changes that protect trout, salmon and game bird habitat, public access, and our statutory role. Keep an eye on this page to stay up to date.

Submission - Feedback on the National Policy Direction

National Policy Direction
The National Policy Direction (NPD) is how the Government will set nationa…