Game Animal Council (Herds of Special Interest) Amendment Bill
The departmental disclosure statement for a government Bill seeks to bring together in one place a range of information to support and enhance the Parliamentary and public scrutiny of that Bill.
It identifies:
- the general policy intent of the Bill and other background policy material;
- some of the key quality assurance products and processes used to develop and test the content of the Bill;
- the presence of certain significant powers or features in the Bill that might be of particular Parliamentary or public interest and warrant an explanation.
This disclosure statement was prepared by the Department of Conservation.
The Department of Conservation certifies that, to the best of its knowledge and understanding, the information provided is complete and accurate at the date of finalisation below.
30 April 2025
Part One: General Policy Statement
This Bill amends the Game Animal Council Act 2013 to clarify that the requirement in section 4(2)(b) of the National Parks Act 1980 to exterminate introduced animals as far as possible (unless the New Zealand Conservation Authority otherwise determines) does not apply to herds of special interest designated under section 16 of the Game Animal Council Act 2013.
The Bill ensures that there is no requirement to exterminate valued introduced species that have been designated as herds of special interest.
Part Two: Background Material and Policy Information
Published reviews or evaluations
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2.1. Are there any publicly available inquiry, review or evaluation reports that have informed, or are relevant to, the policy to be given effect by this Bill? |
NO |
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No publicly available inquiries, reviews, or evaluations have informed, or are relevant to, the policy given effect by this Bill. |
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Relevant international treaties
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2.2. Does this Bill seek to give effect to New Zealand action in relation to an international treaty? |
NO |
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This Bill does not seek to give effect to New Zealand action in relation to an international treaty. |
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Regulatory impact analysis
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2.3. Were any regulatory impact statements provided to inform the policy decisions that led to this Bill? |
NO |
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The Ministry for Regulation has determined that this proposal is exempt from the requirement to provide a Regulatory Impact Statement on the grounds that it has no or only minor economic, social, or environmental impacts. |
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Extent of impact analysis available
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2.4. Has further impact analysis become available for any aspects of the policy to be given effect by this Bill? |
NO |
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No further impact analysis has become available for any aspects of the policy to be given effect by this Bill. |
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2.5. For the policy to be given effect by this Bill, is there analysis available on: |
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(a) the size of the potential costs and benefits? |
NO |
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(b) the potential for any group of persons to suffer a substantial unavoidable loss of income or wealth? |
NO |
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The policy given effect by this Bill is not expected to have any cost implications, or impact any group of persons income or wealth. The policy given effect to by this Bill is a clarifying and enabling policy (clarifying that Herds of Special Interest may operate in national parks without the need for a determination by the New Zealand Conservation Authority that the animals need not be exterminated as far as possible). Accordingly, the policy given effect to by this Bill will not have any material implications by itself. If a proposal to set up a Herd of Special Interest in a national park should be progressed (by the Minister responsible for the Game Animal Council Act 2013), the potential impacts of such a Herd of Special Interest will be assessed during that statutory process. |
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2.6. For the policy to be given effect by this Bill, are the potential costs or benefits likely to be impacted by: |
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(a) the level of effective compliance or non-compliance with applicable obligations or standards? |
NO |
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(b) the nature and level of regulator effort put into encouraging or securing compliance? |
NO |
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This Bill does not have any compliance or non-compliance implications. |
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Part Three: Testing of Legislative Content
Consistency with New Zealand’s international obligations
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3.1. What steps have been taken to determine whether the policy to be given effect by this Bill is consistent with New Zealand’s international obligations? |
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Officials have considered and determined that the policy given effect by this Bill would not have any impact on New Zealand’s international obligations – this is because the Bill would not have any material impact by itself. Officials have given particular consideration to whether the proposal would impact on New Zealand’s obligations under the World Heritage Convention in relation to World Heritage Areas and determined that it would not. |
Consistency with the government’s Treaty of Waitangi obligations
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3.2. What steps have been taken to determine whether the policy to be given effect by this Bill is consistent with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi? |
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The policy given effect to by this Bill will not have any material impacts by itself. The principles of the Treaty of Waitangi will be given effect to via the statutory processes in the Game Animal Council Act to develop and designate Herds of Special Interest. |
Consistency with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990
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3.3. Has advice been provided to the Attorney-General on whether any provisions of this Bill appear to limit any of the rights and freedoms affirmed in the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990? |
NO |
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NZBORA vetting is underway. |
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Offences, penalties and court jurisdictions
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3.4. Does this Bill create, amend, or remove: |
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(a) offences or penalties (including infringement offences or penalties and civil pecuniary penalty regimes)? |
NO |
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(b) the jurisdiction of a court or tribunal (including rights to judicial review or rights of appeal)? |
NO |
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This Bill does not create, amend, or remove any offences or penalties and does not create, amend, or remove the jurisdiction of a court or tribunal. |
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Privacy issues
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3.5. Does this Bill create, amend or remove any provisions relating to the collection, storage, access to, correction of, use or disclosure of personal information? |
NO |
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Not applicable. |
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External consultation
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3.6. Has there been any external consultation on the policy to be given effect by this Bill, or on a draft of this Bill? |
NO |
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No external consultation has been undertaken on the policy to be given effect by this Bill, or a draft version of this Bill. |
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Other testing of proposals
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3.7. Have the policy details to be given effect by this Bill been otherwise tested or assessed in any way to ensure the Bill’s provisions are workable and complete? |
NO |
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N/A. |
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Part Four: Significant Legislative Features
Compulsory acquisition of private property
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4.1. Does this Bill contain any provisions that could result in the compulsory acquisition of private property? |
NO |
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Not applicable. |
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Charges in the nature of a tax
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4.2. Does this Bill create or amend a power to impose a fee, levy or charge in the nature of a tax? |
NO |
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Not applicable. |
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Retrospective effect
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4.3. Does this Bill affect rights, freedoms, or impose obligations, retrospectively? |
NO |
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Not applicable. |
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Strict liability or reversal of the usual burden of proof for offences
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4.4. Does this Bill: |
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(a) create or amend a strict or absolute liability offence? |
NO |
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(b) reverse or modify the usual burden of proof for an offence or a civil pecuniary penalty proceeding? |
NO |
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Not applicable. |
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Civil or criminal immunity
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4.5. Does this Bill create or amend a civil or criminal immunity for any person? |
NO |
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Not applicable. |
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Significant decision-making powers
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4.6. Does this Bill create or amend a decision-making power to make a determination about a person’s rights, obligations, or interests protected or recognised by law, and that could have a significant impact on those rights, obligations, or interests? |
NO |
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Not applicable. |
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Powers to make delegated legislation
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4.7. Does this Bill create or amend a power to make delegated legislation that could amend an Act, define the meaning of a term in an Act, or grant an exemption from an Act or delegated legislation? |
NO |
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Not applicable. |
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4.8. Does this Bill create or amend any other powers to make delegated legislation? |
NO |
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Not applicable. |
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Any other unusual provisions or features
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4.9. Does this Bill contain any provisions (other than those noted above) that are unusual or call for special comment? |
NO |
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Not applicable. |
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