Hands off conservation land
Public conservation land is a shared treasure that makes Aotearoa unlike anywhere else on Earth.
But the Luxon Government wants to make it easier to commercially exploit public conservation land across New Zealand. The Conservation Amendment Bill is rotten to the core. Join us in calling on the Government to bin the Bill entirely.
We’ve protected conservation land before. We can do it again.
The Luxon Government thinks they can slip the Conservation Amendment Bill through with minimal fuss. With your help, we’re showing them just how wrong they are.
Take action to protect conservation land
Together we can bin the bill! With your support, we’re galvanising wide opposition to the Government’s plans – from signatures to submissions, to contacting our MPs, to marching in the streets.
Politicians are feeling the strength of feeling both offline and online. They know the public stands against the Coalition Government’s plans to exploit the places that are so important to us all.
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PETITION: Hands off conservation land
Public conservation land belongs to Aotearoa. Tell the Government: our conservation land is not for sale.
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Election 2026: environment scorecards
Use Greenpeace’s election scorecards to compare where political parties stand on the biggest environmental issues facing Aotearoa.
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Action toolkit: Hands off conservation land
Want to take action against the Conservation Amendment Bill? Use our Hands off Conservation Land Toolkit to help bin the Bill!
Conservation land is under attack
The coalition Government has led attack after attack on nature: fast-tracking destructive developments, allowing bottom trawling to continue, attacking Te Tiriti and gutting our core environmental laws.
Now, with the Conservation Amendment Bill, they’re even threatening public conservation land.
Changing the purpose of the Department of Conservation
Since 1987, the Department of Conservation’s primary job has been to protect nature. But the Conservation Amendment Bill will rewrite DOC’s core mandate, forcing the Department to prioritise commercial exploitation of public conservation land.
If the Bill passes, DOC will be forced to enable commercial development ‘to the greatest extent practicable.’
The Luxon Government is proposing to hardwire that same commercial exploitation mandate throughout our Conservation law. This would mean it’s no longer about protection and conservation but about private commercial exploitation of public conservation land.
What’s at risk from the Conservation Amendment Bill?
The Bill would make it easier for open cast mines, hotels, gondolas, and carparks to degrade the wild and untouched places we treasure.
Once these wild places are carved up, exploited or mined, we can’t get them back.
Public conservation land has been kept safe by generations before us who stood up to defend it. Now it is our turn to guard it for nature and for those that come after us.
Image: Stockton mine | Neil Silverwood
Conservation land is for people and for nature
Public conservation land is part of who we are. It’s the snow-covered mountains, ancient forests, wild rivers and native birdsong that make Aotearoa unlike anywhere else on Earth.
It’s where we go camping, tramping, fishing and hunting.
It’s where endangered native species still have a fighting chance to survive.
It’s one of our greatest defences against climate breakdown. The huge tracts of native forests and remaining wetlands in the conservation estate store vast amounts of carbon.
What conservation areas are at risk?
All conservation land is at risk of being commercially exploited under the Bill, including National Parks.
Are the special places you love at risk? Explore our map of conservation areas that could be levelled to make way for open cast mines or locked behind a billionaire’s private gate.
Chip in to make it happen
Will you donate to support Greenpeace’s vital work in protecting our public conservation land?
Donations can help us continue to challenge this Government’s war on nature and defend what makes Aotearoa unique — the nature, wild places and wildlife.
A day of action across Aotearoa
On Saturday 15th August, hundreds of people across Aotearoa came together in parks, on riverbanks, in the mountains and on beaches in a national day of action for conservation land, to send a clear message to the Government: bin the bill.
Nearly 40 protests took place across the country as part of a nationwide day of action against the Government’s Conservation Amendment Bill.
From Invercargill and Wānaka to Northland and Aotea/Great Barrier Island, from small towns on the east and west coasts to our biggest cities, communities came together to stand up for the wild places they love. On beaches, mountain tops, beside rivers and in conservation areas.
Speaking up for conservation land
The Luxon Government knows its Conservation Amendment Bill is widely unpopular. Tens of thousands of people made a submission against the Bill – over 30,000 used Greenpeace’s online tool to create their personal submission.
On 18 September Greenpeace campaigner Gen Toop made an oral presentation to the Environment Select Committee urging them to throw out the Bill in its entirety.
The Bill didn’t pass this Parliamentary term (2026), so it will be up to the incoming Government to decide what to do with it – to exploit conservation land, to modify the Bill, or to bin the Bill in its entirety.
Check out our election scorecard to find out which political parties have the best policies for the protection of conservation land this election.
Use Greenpeace’s election scorecards to compare where political parties stand on the biggest environmental issues facing Aotearoa.
ELECTION SCORECARDSThe March for Nature
On 19 September 2026, thousands upon thousands gathered in Auckland to march down Queen Street to stand up for nature and defend conservation land.
Together, we sent a message to this Government that was impossible to ignore: hands off conservation land!
Thousands came together from all walks of life prepared to unite, to take to the streets and stand together to protect the places and wildlife we love. Thousands of people who want the rivers, oceans, climate and conservation land of this beautiful country protected, not exploited.
Defend conservation land
Add your name now and tell the Government: hands off conservation land!