The Conservation Amendment Bill introduced on 7 May 2026 contains a significant change to the purpose architecture of the Conservation Act 1987 – it proposes a new function for the Department of Conservation to “recognise the economic opportunities that arise from the use and development” of the land and resources it manages, and to “enable this use and development to the greatest extent practicable under this Act and other enactments”.

How well do the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill deal with climate change? In this new member article, Kierra Parker and Charlie Williams examine the current drafting, recent case law, and the risks created by leaving climate change mitigation outside the core of the new framework.