Work on West Coast Conservation Management Strategy paused

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date:  22 October 2025

The West Coast CMS guides how conservation land is managed on the West Coast and includes information about what sort of activities are appropriate on various categories of conservation land.

In August, the Government announced decisions to modernise and streamline conservation land management. The Conservation Acts (Land Management) Amendment Bill is being drafted to give effect to these decisions.

Owen Kilgour, the Department of Conservation’s West Coast Operations Director, says “This means the requirements for our planning documents, like the CMS, are likely to change.

“Together with Poutini Ngāi Tahu and the West Coast Tai Poutini Conservation Board, we have decided to pause the CMS review until we have more clarity on what future planning documents will look like.”

The decision to pause the CMS reflects the West Coast context whereas other statutory planning processes, such as the Te Hiku o Te Ika a Maui CMS which is more progressed, continue.

At the end of 2024, the public were asked for their views through a survey on what was important to them on West Coast conservation lands and waters, and how they thought these places should be managed. This was the first stage in work the Department of Conservation (DOC), Poutini Ngāi Tahu and the West Coast Tai Poutini Conservation Board had progressed toward the new CMS.

Owen Kilgour says, “Over 1,000 people contributed to the survey and we’ve received some really useful information about what’s important to people and what they like to do when out naturing on conservation land.

“We thank everyone for their input and want to assure them this information will not be lost and will be useful in our future planning.”

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