Game Animal Council Fact Sheet

The creation of the Game Animal Council is coming into being as part of UnitedFuture’s Confidence and Supply Agreement with the National-led Government.

The basic permit to hunt on public conservation land will remain free of charge.

The Game Animal Council will be established by statute:

• A new classification of animals will also be introduced under this Act allowing the Minister of Conservation to designate herds of special interest to hunters and in specific locations.
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The broad functions of the Council will be:

• Advising and making recommendations to the Minister of Conservation
• For herds of special interest to hunters and in specific locations designated by the Minister, to undertake management functions to improve the hunting experience.
• Undertaking hunting research
• Providing information to hunters
• Promote safety initiatives for the sector
• Representing the views and interests of the sector
• Liaising between hunters, sector groups, local authorities and private landowners, the New Zealand Conservation Authority, conservation boards and government to improve hunting opportunities.
• Providing other services to hunters by agreement, where that is compatible with the Council’s other functions.

The Council will have a membership of 11, representing deerstalkers, unaffiliated hunters, pig hunters, iwi, conservation and commercial interests.

Funding will come primarily by a levy on the export of trophy animals, as well as a small Crown contribution of $100 000 in the Council’s first year and $50 000 each year after that.

Background:

The Game Animal Council is the culmination of UnitedFuture’s more than six years of commitment to improve the way deer, tahr chamois and wild pigs are managed for the benefit of recreational hunting, commercial hunting, conservation, farming and forestry and the public of New Zealand.

UnitedFuture sees the new Council as the most important event in the management of deer, tahr, chamois and wild pigs since the establishment of the Wild Animal Control Act in 1977.

The Game Animal Council was born out of UnitedFuture’s Confidence and Supply agreements with both this National Government and the previous Labour Government:

• The Deer, Chamois, Tahr and Pigs Consultation Panel that reported back in April 2008 recommended among other things the establishment of a statutory body to represent the interests of big game hunters. The 4000 public submissions received during this consultation process was testament to the importance of deer, chamois, tahr and pigs to New Zealanders.
• The current Confidence and Supply Agreement with National allowed us to form the Big Game Hunting Council Establishment Committee to engage stakeholders and the general public over specific proposals for the Game Animal Council’s structure, functions, membership and funding.
• The Establishment Committee reported back its recommendations in June 2010.
• Based on those recommendations the National Government and UnitedFuture have successfully negotiated the principles, functions, membership and funding model for the Game Animal Council to be set up as a statutory organisation.

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