Dean Jacqui: Conservation (Natural Heritage Protection) Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Dean Jacqui: Conservation (Natural Heritage Protection) Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 14 November 2012. Volume:685;Page:6633. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki) 
: 
 I move  
That the Conservation (Natural Heritage Protection) Bill be now read a first time. 
 I nominate the Local Government and Environment Committee to consider the bill. There are several populations of very attractive jewelled geckos on Banks Peninsula and also a population on the Otago Peninsula. They are attractive to us because they are the most wonderful creatures—green with yellow and white markings. They are pretty unique as well giving birth to live young and also being active during the day. These geckos endemic to the South Island of New Zealand are highly protected and it is illegal to disturb or capture them. Unfortunately jewelled geckos are also attractive to wildlife smugglers who if they can get them past our borders can make an extraordinary amount of money from them. 
Smugglers come to New Zealand often posing as tourists. Some of them are acting as agents for overseas collectors and have maps and global positioning system points provided by overseas syndicates with the detailed locations of where to find our geckos. They might hire a campervan and they might visit and then revisit the same site on the Otago Peninsula or Banks Peninsula over a number of years targeting our iconic species over and over again and literally ripping off our heritage. The smugglers are driven by the big money that they can get at the huge trade fairs overseas held in Europe. These trade fairs are where our native wildlife such as jewelled skink are openly sold and if you go on the internet which is easy enough to do these days you can see pictures of them in plastic containers like Tupperware or GladWare containers sitting there on perhaps a paper towel and they are easily identifiable by way by their markings which are pretty individual to them. 
So they are openly sold both on the internet and also at these large trade fairs reaching prices often of more than $10000 each and more if it happens to be a pregnant female. Just recently a pregnant female was caught in the hands of a potential smuggler at our border in Christchurch. She was pregnant with two young inside her. I do not know the price of that female but the loss to New Zealand and to the native population is a— 
Scott Simpson 
: Priceless loss to New Zealand. 
JACQUI DEAN 
: Well it is a priceless loss to New Zealanders and is pretty keenly felt by those of us who are neighbourly with these skinks in Otago and indeed Canterbury. For the Otago population of jewelled gecko poachers are now a larger threat than even cats and ferrets and it is estimated that the population has been decimated by up to one-third over a period of 5 years leaving a population of fewer than 5000 in Otago. 
The Wildlife Enforcement Group which was set up by the Government is doing wonderful work. It is based in the Customs Service together with the Ministry for Primary Industries and the Department of Conservation. In 2010 a German gentleman Manfred Bachmann was caught in Christchurch by the Wildlife Enforcement Group with 16 jewelled gecko in a backpack on his person. He pleaded guilty to being in possession of absolutely protected wildlife under the Wildlife Act and was sentenced to 15 weeks in jail and in my view that is not enough. The Conservation (Natural Heritage Protection) Bill does not only apply to the jewelled gecko of course. Plenty of New Zealand’s precious and protected flora fauna and natural and historic resources are under threat. The new penalties proposed in the bill relating to animals will also cover the poaching and smuggling of tuatara and of parrots. Some penalties in the current legislation are far too low. Upon sentencing German national Manfred Bachmann who was found guilty of smuggling jewelled gecko Judge Farish who was presiding noted: “Given the value of these creatures perhaps the penalty needs to be increased to deter you and other people from thinking it’s appropriate to come here and steal these valuable creatures from our country.” I could not agree more with those sentiments. 
This bill proposes amendments to the Conservation Act 1987 the National Parks Act 1980 the Reserves Act 1977 the Wildlife Act 1953 and the Wild Animal Control Act 1977. Instead of a sentence of 15 weeks in jail for smuggling jewelled gecko the likes of Mr Bachmann would face up to 3 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $200000. Maybe that would send a strong message to him and his like in the international smuggling community and they will know that they are not welcome here in New Zealand with their smuggling ways. 
The bill not only increases penalties for offences but also provides a consistent approach across a number of Acts. Under the bill fines for reserves and national parks will come into line with each other and will provide clarity across the main regulations administered by the Department of Conservation. 
The message we want to send people through this legislation should it be passed is that New Zealand is not should not and will not be a soft touch for overseas smugglers coming to New Zealand to steal our natural heritage. So this bill sends a strong message that we take the protection of New Zealand wildlife and our natural areas very seriously. We New Zealanders pride ourselves on our clean green image. It is imperative that we look after our natural environment because it is our greatest asset. A consistent approach to penalties across the laws administered by the Department of Conservation will ensure appropriate and effective penalties punishment and enforcement. 
I want to finish my contribution tonight and my introduction to this bill by commending the commitment and the work of the Department of Conservation. I also want to commend the commitment and the work of the Customs Service and also those personnel in the Ministry for Primary Industries in their work with the Wildlife Enforcement Group and I hope that this bill will give them more teeth. I commend the bill to the House.