Forest and Bird speaks on new govt conservation proposal

The government has released a proposal to "modernise New Zealand's conservation management system." The aim it said is to cut red tape, maximise benefits from commercial activity on public conservation land and make it easier to dispose of, or swap whenua. The plan would also give the Minister more powers to decide the fate of the estate. The Department of Conservation is the country's biggest land manager with an estate of 8.7 million hectares, including 15,000 kilometres of tracks. In an earlier briefing to the Minister, DOC said it was managing more assets that it could afford to and it's funding has not kept pace. Forest and Bird is worried New Zealand is about sell-off the jewels in its natural crown, its General Manager of Advocacy Richard Capie spoke to Lisa Owen.