'Not what we’re about': Potaka pushes back on big conservation land sell-off claim as a 'myth'

Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka is promising selling off huge chunks of conservation land is “not what we’re about” as his contentious Conservation Amendment Bill faces scrutiny.

The Government is copping criticism from the Opposition, as well as environmental group Forest and Bird, over legislation that loosens existing constraints on selling Crown-owned conservation land.

The legislation also allows more development on conservation land.

The Green Party says the bill “goes against the purpose of conservation and environmental protection” and has an ongoing petition calling for it to be binned.

Labour’s conservation spokeswoman Priyanca Radhakrishnan said the party would “fight” to keep conservation land belonging to “all of us”.

A Curia poll commissioned by Forest and Bird found 64% of voters oppose allowing the sale of public conservation land, including 46% who strongly oppose it.

Forest and Bird conservation advocacy and policy manager Richard Capie said the poll sent a “very clear message” that conservation land should be protected, not sold.

Potaka admitted a “strong narrative” was being pushed “that this Government does not care about conservation”, but said, “I am one of the hugest flagbearers for conservation, kaitiakitanga, and the environment”.

Potaka gave examples of land that could be sold in an interview with Newstalk ZB: “You’re talking about some small parcels around the country that are pretty adjacent to DoC’s purpose of biodiversity, infrastructure, heritage, recreation.”

The minister pointed to the MetService building in central Wellington and a home in Levin owned by the Crown that had “nothing going on except a whole bunch of asbestos”.

“You’re talking about the unused bowling green in the Murupara township that could be better used for affordable housing. This is what we’re talking about; small parcels. There’s no plan or programme to sell off huge chunks of land, that’s not what we’re about.”

Potaka added that disposal processes were used very infrequently, and also reiterated the bill had not been driven off the need to generate more revenue.

The minister pointed to work around marine reserves in the Hauraki Gulf and funding put into predator-free Wellington and pest control initiatives in Auckland as success stories in conservation.

“Stand by, there might be another one coming soon in a city near you,” Potaka said on predator-free efforts.
The minister said there was also “huge mahi” put into eliminating wilding pines.

Potaka said he thought he could communicate the changes better, but also said, “No matter what you describe, people will always try and spin it in a different way”, to suit their narrative.

He said claims he would support selling a large amount of land were “myth” and not grounded in reality.

“I’m very deliberate about the actions that we need to take in order to deal with pests and predators, as I called it - the axis of predator evil - and what is compromising the conservation estate,” Potaka added.

The bill itself allows the Government to sell land if it is deemed “not important for the conservation of threatened species or threatened ecosystems, or both”.

The Department of Conservation Director-General must consult on the proposal to sell land, and if they recommend against the proposed sale going forward, the Government must keep it.

Submissions on the bill, amending legislation from 1987, close in early July.

Potaka and members of the Opposition clashed on the proposed legislation at Parliament’s scrutiny week last week, where the minister said he supported selling “bits and bobs” of land.

The minister was interrupted with jibes of “that’s untrue” from Opposition MPs, with National’s Grant McCallum interrupting them back, saying “hypocrite”.

Opposition MPs presented maps from Forest and Bird, which showed the changes would impact up to 60% of current conservation land.

Potaka told the hearing a whole bunch of land was “shoved into the conservation estate in the 1980s”, then said to

Opposition MPs “that might not be history or herstory that you know about, but I know about it.”

The minister also said proceeds from sales would be reinvested into conservation efforts.

Azaria Howell is a multimedia reporter working from Parliament’s press gallery. She joined NZME in 2022 and became a Newstalk ZB political reporter in late 2024, with a keen interest in public service agency reform and government spending.