The Department of Conservation (DOC) has long been seen as both a protector of the nation’s landscapes and an oppressive bureaucracy.
Now, with its proposed Conservation Amendment Bill set for 2026, DOC is pushing policies that critics say embed racial discrimination in public land management.
DOC’s discussion document, Modernising Conservation Land Management, openly promotes race-based entitlements, treating those of Māori descent as having superior claims to public lands. The justification? Ancestral ties and the hazy concept of “kaitiakitanga” (guardianship).
These undefined terms allow for subjective policy-making, creating an uneven system where public land management increasingly serves iwi interests at the expense of the broader population. “It’s incredible what hardworking Kiwis have ‘gifted’ this very wealthy organisation,” Fiona Mackenzie writes, citing Ngāi Tahu’s expanding control over South Island resources.
The proposals grant iwi preferential treatment in land decisions, business concessions, and even the disposal of conservation lands. This embeds co-governance structures that undermine both the democratic process and public trust.
Critics argue that DOC’s approach fosters “legalised corruption, resentment and division,” while unfair tax advantages for Māori businesses further tilt the playing field against other tourism operators.
To fix DOC, the government must return to basics—streamlining conservation efforts without racial bias, ensuring transparency, and prioritising fair access for all New Zealanders.
As Mackenzie warns, “New Zealand can’t afford ceremonial whale burials on hilltops or returning stray penguins to the Southern Ocean” when DOC’s core mission should be conservation, not ideology.
Centrist Ltd.
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By elocal magazine