The Game Animal Council’s organisational strategy, or strategic plan, sets the long-term direction for the GAC’s work. It outlines the goals and aspirations of the GAC in relation to hunting and game animal management in New Zealand.
The strategic priorities outline high-level, measurable goals to help achieve our vision. The Game Animal Council’s current organisational strategy was approved by the Council at its meeting on 15 June 2026 and took effect from 1 July 2026.
See the GAC’s organisational strategy below or view a PDF version of it here.
Our vision
Game animals are recognised as valued introduced species and are sustainably managed for future generations. Hunting is valued as part of our national heritage and identity.
Our purpose
Independent statutory voice for hunters, leading the sustainable management of game animals and enduring access to hunting.
Enablers
How we succeed
Education:
- Provide hunter safety and education.
- Share research, best practice guides, and management outcomes widely through digital platforms, events, and publications.
- Supply leading advice on game animal management to government, the sector, and the public.
Advocacy:
- Advocate on behalf of the hunting sector to government, media, and communities.
- Foster community leadership in game animal management.
- Promote the benefits and value of hunting.
Engagement:
- Foster collaboration between the community, iwi, hunting sector, stakeholders and government.
- Build partnerships to expand reach, alignment, and impact.
- Seek feedback to track and improve engagement and relationships.
Strategic priorities
What we focus on
Outcome 1: Hunters and hunting
Hunters are supported to hunt safely, responsibly and successfully.
Outputs:
- Expand Better Hunting education embedding safety, standards, ethics, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
- Promote hunting participation, targeting youth, new entrants, and under-represented groups.
- Champion and improve hunter access to public and private land.
- Integrate hunting into indigenous biodiversity and habitat recovery programmes with partners.
- Establish, maintain, and update voluntary codes of practice.
- Liaise with landholders to support safe, ethical, and sustainable hunting.
- Foster hunter connection and recruitment to enable growth in the sector.
Outcome 2: Game animals
Game animal populations are valued and sustainably managed.
Outputs:
- Sustainably manage game animals.
- Lead and support development and implementation of Herds of Special Interest (HOSI), recreational hunting areas and sustainable game animal management plans.
- Promote values based, regionally appropriate management approaches.
- Monitor herds and habitats to measure ecological impact and conservation benefits.
- Support research and data to inform sound decision making.
- Advocate for policy to reflect game animals as valued introduced species.
- Strengthen awareness and understanding of biosecurity issues, emerging threats, and best-practice prevention measures.
Outcome 3: Social licence
Hunting is accepted as safe, legitimate, and beneficial to conservation and communities.
Outputs:
- Advance independent, high-quality science and advocate for its use in evidence-based policy and informed public discussion.
- Conduct and act on annual stakeholder engagement surveys to measure and improve trust.
- Promote the value of hunting and game animals for conservation, wellbeing, food provision, meat donation, and economy.
- Report on measurable conservation contributions from hunting.
- Provide transparent reporting on safety, ethics, herd health, and conservation outcomes.
Outcome 4: Organisation
Governance, management systems, and culture enables effective delivery and adaptability.
Outputs:
- Fulfil our role under the Game Animal Council Act 2013 and meet all obligations of other relevant legislation.
- Foster effective relationships and trusted engagement with government ministries, ministers and the GAC’s monitoring agency.
- Provide timely advice, backed by science and evidence.
- Maintain transparency and legitimacy through reporting, evaluation, and stakeholder trust.
- Diversify funding streams and maintain organisational autonomy.
- Establish and strengthen relationships with iwi and stakeholders.
- Seek future role expansion into game animal management and coordination.
Archived
View the previous Game Animal Council strategic plan (May 2023 – July 2026)
See the GAC’s annual planning and reporting documentation here.