NEWS RELEASE
Thursday 20 November 2003
Last call for submissions on conservation general policies
A month remains before submissions close on draft policies to guide the direction for conservation management in New
Zealand.
The Department of Conservation invited submissions on draft general policies for conservation, one for national parks
and the other for other public conservation lands and waters, on 22 August.
DOC had already received a large number of submissions on specific issues, DOC policy analyst Paul Blaschke said today.
DOC appreciated the level of feedback to date but still welcomed more submissions.
“This is a unique opportunity for the public to tell DOC their opinions on how we should be safeguarding natural and
historic heritage on public conservation land, protecting habitats and native species, fostering recreation, working
with iwi and communities, and many other topics.”
"The general polices are about formalising general conservation principles,” Mr Blaschke said. “They are to interpret
the laws, not rewrite them. The polices cannot be inconsistent with the conservation legislation and submitters need to
bear this in mind.”
Submissions on the general policies close on 19 December. Copies of the draft general policy statements are available on
the DOC web site, www.doc.govt.nz; and at DOC regional, conservancy and area offices; and public libraries.
ENDS