Tuia Pito Ora New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects has submitted on the Proposed National Conservation Policy Statement, contributing the profession's perspective on how Aotearoa New Zealand's conservation landscapes are protected, managed and experienced.

In its submission, NZILA supports efforts to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the conservation system, while warning that streamlined approaches must not come at the expense of landscape values, cultural landscapes and tangata whenua relationships with place. Key recommendations include stronger identification and protection of landscape and cultural values in area plans, greater consideration of cumulative effects, protection of culturally significant landscapes from blanket exemptions, and ensuring recreation, tourism and visitor outcomes are balanced with conservation and cultural values. NZILA also calls for conservation land classifications to clearly signal the values they are intended to protect, and for decision-making to better reflect the place-specific nature of landscape values.

Read the full submission

Ngā mihi to the members of the Environmental Legislation Working Group who contributed their expertise and time in preparing this submission on behalf of the profession.