By Corina Jordan, NZ Game Animal Council Chief Executive Officer

It was a pleasure to attend the NZDA Conference in Invercargill last month. Connecting with many NZDA members and presenting to those in attendance was a highlight. Huge congratulations to NZDA for delivering a fantastic event.

Rakiura Whitetail Trust

A new trust – Rakiura Whitetail Trust – has been established to promote sustainable management of white-tailed deer on Stewart Island/Rakiura, balancing the cultural and economic value of hunting with ecosystem protection.

This group will play a key role in helping to navigate the long road toward a balanced approach to predator control and deer management on Stewart Island/Rakiura.

To follow their work or get involved, visit their Facebook page—updates on a supporter’s club and website will be shared there.

The GAC will continue to represent the interests of hunters and game animals regarding predator control operations on Stewart Island/Rakiura and share updates on this work across our channels.

Amendment Bill

Public consultation on the Game Animal Council (Herds of Special Interest) Amendment Bill closed on 24 July. The Bill aims to clarify that the Minister for Hunting and Fishing can establish a Herd of Special Interest (HOSI) in a national park, exempting it from extermination or eradication under conservation law.

A huge thank you to everyone who raised awareness or submitted feedback—nearly 3,000 submissions were sent to the Environment Select Committee. Following oral hearings, the Committee will report back with recommendations by 30 October, ahead of a third reading and possible passage into law.

The GAC does not believe the Amendment Bill goes far enough to provide long-term certainty or legal protection for HOSI as a management tool. You can read our full submission here (PDF File).

We recommended several amendments:

  1. The GAC Act should allow flexibility to develop formal agreements with private landowners and/or representatives, should they want to collaborate on management of a valued introduced game animal herds within their property.
  2. The wording ‘consistent with’ overriding considerations (which include pristine or pre-human) should be replaced with the less rigid ‘must have regard to’. This would create an appropriate amount of flexibility, given that the GAC Act is more modern than the current conservation framework.
  3. More functions should be added to the GAC for advising the Minister for Hunting and Fishing on the establishment of HOSI, providing GAC with the functions of developing herd management plans, and implementing a HOSI after it has been gazetted by the Minister. This aligns with the intent of the Game Animal Council Act 2013 and strengthens the GAC as the statutory organisation representing hunters and sustainable game animal management.

We also sought involvement in discussions about modernising the conservation framework to ensure the interests of hunters, and the benefits they bring to the community and environment, are recognised and reflected.

Looking ahead

This is a pivotal time for hunters in New Zealand. We have an opportunity to influence a legal framework that better supports both game animals and conservation outcomes. These goals are not mutually exclusive—they’re interconnected, and the sooner our legislation reflects that, the better.

All the best,

Corina