Dunne Peter: Game Animal Council Bill — First Reading 
Dunne Peter: Game Animal Council Bill — First Reading 
[Advance Copy - Subject to minor change before inclusion in Bound Volume.] 
Hon PETER DUNNE (Associate Minister of Conservation) 
 on behalf of the  
Minister of Conservation 
: I move  
That the Game Animal Council Bill be now read a first time. 
 I propose to refer the bill to the Local Government and Environment Committee. 
This bill delivers on the Government’s 2008 confidence and supply agreement with United Future to proceed with the establishment of a big game hunting council as part of a national wild game management strategy with a view to it becoming a statutory authority. That provision had in turn grown out of United Future’s 2005 agreement with the previous Labour-led Government which led to the establishment of the game animal panel. After receiving over 4000 submissions and hearing from a wide range of groups individuals and organisations the panel chaired ably by the Hon Margaret Austin proposed amongst its recommendations the establishment of a statutory organisation to coordinate and foster management of recreational guided and commercial hunting. So in many senses this bill arises directly from the game animal panel and I want to acknowledge this afternoon the work of Margaret Austin and her team. 
During the last Parliament the panel’s work was taken a step further through the work of the Game Animal Council Establishment Committee chaired by Garry Ottmann whose contribution I would also like to acknowledge this afternoon. The establishment committee conducted a further round of public consultations and the upshot was this bill introduced shortly before Parliament was dissolved for last year’s election. So this bill is a culmination of a deliberate thorough and considered process under both Governments over the last 6 years involving all the key stakeholders and it is therefore with a real sense of pride that I bring it before the House today. 
The bill establishes a Game Animal Council including specifying its make-up and functions. The purpose of the Game Animal Council is to improve the management of game animals—namely deer tahr chamois and wild pigs—including the improvement of opportunities to hunt those animals while also providing advice to the Minister of Conservation on issues affecting the hunting sector. 
 Secondary objectives for the council include providing information and education to the hunting sector; reducing conflict within the sector; the promotion of safety initiatives including firearms safety; education and training; raising awareness and advocating for the views of the hunting sector; and conducting research into game animals and their management. 
The bill creates powers for the Minister of Conservation to manage what will be known as herds of special interest to hunters for recreational hunting outcomes and allows for those powers to be delegated to the council. A herd of special interest to hunters would be a game animal herd of a particular species or subspecies in specific locations that was considered to have high value to hunters either because of the hunting experience and the accessibility of the animals or the quality and the significance of the trophy. The bill provides the Minister with the ability to designate a herd to receive such a status based on the recommendations of the council along with input from the Department of Conservation and other stakeholders. Upon a herd being designated as a herd of special interest the Minister would in turn delegate to the council specific management functions to be carried out under a herd management plan. The Director-General of Conservation on recommendation from the council will have the ability to appoint warranted enforcement officers similar—but more limited in function—to Fish and Game rangers. The enforcement officers’ role will be to ensure compliance with the conditions of herd management plans and to prevent other illegal actions including the liberation conveying and capturing of game animals. 
A localised example of the herd of special interest model already exists with the work of the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation. In the past 6 years alone the foundation has removed nearly 5500 predominantly red deer from Fiordland and that has been paid for and managed by recreational hunters and constitutes a classic win-win situation. Conservation values are being enhanced by the reduced number of deer while hunters enjoy a wapiti herd with far greater genetic integrity and trophy value than it had before. Members of the foundation have further contributed to conservation by laying up to 70 kilometres of pest control lines and funding the reopening of the blue duck hatchery in Te Anau and last December the foundation finally achieved formal recommendation of its efforts with the signing of a management agreement with the Department of Conservation. The Fiordland Wapiti Foundation did all this from scratch and in the face of much scepticism. That is a great achievement on its part and I congratulate it heartily on it. 
What the Game Animal Council will do is provide hunters with the legislative and organisational framework to be able to achieve similar outcomes in other parts of the country. Funding for the council will come primarily through a levy on the export of game trophies supplemented by a small Crown contribution of $50000 per animal. Provisions also exist in the legislation for other forms of self-funding to be explored in the future. It should be noted that the establishment of the council will not in any way alter current levels of free access to hunting opportunities provided to recreational hunters. 
The council will have a minimum of nine and no more than 11 appointed members and those who are appointed to the council will have knowledge and experience reflective of the diversity within the hunting sector and the game animal industries. Members will be selected after a public nomination process and both the public and organisations with an interest will be able to submit nominations to the Minister. 
I must emphasise though that this bill does not dilute existing powers to manage wild animals for the purpose of protecting conservation values. Herds of special interest to hunters must be managed consistent with statutory management strategies plans and policies relating to conservation. But by allowing outdoor recreationists a greater stake in the management of their recreational resource I believe that like the work of the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation the Game Animal Council will achieve huge gains for both recreation and conservation. New Zealand’s back country is a special place. However it would not be half as special if people were not inspired to go and use it. For many New Zealanders our connection with our outdoor heritage is a major part of what it means to be a Kiwi. But the New Zealand back country is not as some may wish it to be an exhibition in a museum nice to look at but never to be touched—just another picture on the wall. It is a place steeped in history rewarding of adventure and offering a lifetime of enjoyment. In some small way I hope that this legislation and the organisation that it will create will uphold and enhance those values for the enjoyment of generations to come. It is therefore with a huge degree of pleasure and pride that I commend this bill to the House this afternoon.