NEWS RELEASE
Thursday 20 November 2003

Last call for submissions on conservation general policies

A month remains before submissions close on draft policies to guide the direction for conservation management in New Zealand.

The Department of Conservation invited submissions on draft general policies for conservation, one for national parks and the other for other public conservation lands and waters, on 22 August.

DOC had already received a large number of submissions on specific issues, DOC policy analyst Paul Blaschke said today. DOC appreciated the level of feedback to date but still welcomed more submissions.

“This is a unique opportunity for the public to tell DOC their opinions on how we should be safeguarding natural and historic heritage on public conservation land, protecting habitats and native species, fostering recreation, working with iwi and communities, and many other topics.”

"The general polices are about formalising general conservation principles,” Mr Blaschke said. “They are to interpret the laws, not rewrite them. The polices cannot be inconsistent with the conservation legislation and submitters need to bear this in mind.”

Submissions on the general policies close on 19 December. Copies of the draft general policy statements are available on the DOC web site, www.doc.govt.nz; and at DOC regional, conservancy and area offices; and public libraries.

ENDS

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