Insights
Feedback on the Conservation Amendment Bill

At Pathfinder, we believe that managing capital on behalf of thousands of New Zealanders requires a deep ethical consideration of our investments alongside high-quality financial analysis.

We take our obligation to act in accordance with our Ethical Investment Policy seriously, aiming to generate long-term wealth while actively seeking to avoid harm to our planet, people and animals. We are committed to navigating complex issues and taking clear, informed stances with a better world in mind.

It is in direct alignment with this position that Pathfinder has submitted a formal submission to the Environment Select Committee providing critical feedback on some of the proposed Conservation Amendment Bill. We view these specific parts of the Bill as a significant risk to Aotearoa's long-term environmental integrity.

Because protecting our natural assets requires collective weight, we have stepped up alongside the team at Forest & Bird. We have declared our support for, and alignment with, some key parts of their comprehensive legal research and expert analysis to amplify our shared opposition to these legislative changes.

Your voice adds vital weight to this process. The Select Committee needs to hear from everyday Kiwis who want to protect the long-term environmental integrity of Aotearoa. We therefore encourage you to stand with us and make your own personal submission to the Environment Select Committee before the deadline of 11.59pm on Thursday, 02 July 2026.

Key Areas of Concern

The baseline purpose of the Conservation Act is currently clear: conservation is the primary purpose of public conservation land, while recreation is fostered and tourism is permitted only where it remains consistent with that core protection.

The proposed Bill introduces a fundamental shift to that which deeply concerns us at Pathfinder.

- It amends Section 6(ea) to require the Department of Conservation (DOC) to recognise economic opportunities and enable commercial use and development "to the greatest extent practicable." We believe this economic imperative must be subject to DOC’s primary function of conservation first.

- The Bill makes it significantly easier to swap or sell public conservation land, replacing strict protections with weaker safeguards that do not protect at-risk indigenous species.

- The proposed 'Schedule 5' leaves internationally and nationally significant lands - including World Heritage Areas, offshore islands, and land acquired using public funds - vulnerable to exchange and disposal.

To ensure the protection of our natural environment, including flora and fauna native to Aotearoa, our submission outlines clear, structural recommendations for the Select Committee, aligned with those suggested by Forest & Bird:

- Rewrite the clause in Section 6(ea) so that economic use and development are only allowed "to the extent consistent with their conservation."

- Add an explicit statutory clause legally obligating DOC to protect and conserve World Heritage Outstanding Universal Values under the World Heritage Convention.

- Include clear statutory safeguards preventing decision-makers under the Crown Minerals Act or Fast-Track Approvals Act from using this Bill to favour commercial development or mining on public conservation land.

- Schedule 5 must be expanded to offer absolute protection to all World Heritage Areas, offshore islands, riverbeds, lakes, and Conservation Parks.

Defending ecological systems is consistent with our ethical investing principle and approach (respecting the earth and avoid harm). We are proud to stand alongside Forest & Bird to ensure our public conservation land remains protected, safeguarding our natural flora and fauna for generations to come.

You can use the comprehensive legal frameworks and talking points established by Forest & Bird to help guide your own submission -

Click here to read Forest & Bird’s detailed submission guidance and lodge your opposition to the Bill directly with the Select Committee.

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