On Monday 6 July 2020, Cabinet agreed that the Crown Pastoral Land Reform Bill can be introduced to Parliament.
The Bill is available on the New Zealand Legislation website:
See Crown Pastoral Land Reform Bill
This follows the Government’s decision in February 2019 to end tenure review, and further decisions in December 2019 to amend the regulatory system to deliver improved outcomes for Crown pastoral land.
The Bill proposes changes to the Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998 and Land Act 1948. It will end tenure review and introduce an outcomes-based approach to the regulatory system to help ensure that sustainable pastoral farming maintains or enhances the inherent (ecological, landscape, cultural, heritage and scientific) values of the land.
The Bill also increases transparency and accountability, and reflects the Crown’s obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi to support strong and enduring Crown-Māori relationships.
The Minister for Land Information also made delegated decisions on the new schedule classifying pastoral activities on Crown pastoral land, and the new statutory test for decision making. These delegated decisions were informed by extensive targeted engagement with iwi and key stakeholders. This engagement helped to confirm that these key components of the Bill are workable and will achieve the desired outcomes.
Previous Cabinet decisions and related advice
Advice that informed the February 2019 decision to end tenure review has already been published on our website:
High country advice (published April 2019)
Information on the public consultation process and submissions received has also been published on our website:
Consultation on enduring stewardship of Crown pastoral land
The December 2019 Cabinet paper, minute of decision, and Regulatory Impact Statement are available on our website:
Delivering better outcomes for Crown pastoral land: Final decisions
The public will have the opportunity to provide further input on the proposals set out in the Crown Pastoral Land Reform Bill through the Select Committee process:
Further information on select committees
The Cabinet paper Crown Pastoral Land Reform Bill: Approval for Introduction is available below [published 24 July 2020].