The Conservation Amendment Bill would allow the Minister of Conservation to open up Rangitoto Island for luxury resorts.
Rangitoto Island is one of the jewels of the Hauraki Gulf. It is a young volcano, just 600 to 700 years old, an almost-perfect cone. It is covered in scoria and volcanic rock, on which the world’s largest pōhutukawa forest is growing.
And even though it sits just across the water from New Zealand’s biggest city, there is no commercial development on the island. In fact there are very few structures at all, just 30 historic baches. When you look out at Rangitoto at night all you see is the silhouette of dark rock and forest – no lights.
And that’s because of the wisdom of those who came before us – in 1937 the Savage Government stopped all new buildings on Rangitoto. And over the following decades most of the baches that had been built were taken down.
It means that when you go to visit Rangitoto, you find nature. Birds, trees, lizards. There are no possums, no luxury resorts, no restaurants.
And that’s how we like it. Natural. Open to all of us to wander around and explore. My kids and I crawled through the lava tunnels and so can you.
But that can all change with the Conservation Amendment Bill. The Bill would create a new power for the Minister of Conservation to designate Visitor Amenity Areas in existing national parks and reserves (1). The Minister can create these areas even if the location or content of the Visitor Amenity area is completely at odds with the purpose or principles of the conservation land (2).
This would mean that a wealthy corporate donor to one of the ruling parties could be given large chunks of land on Rangitoto as part of a Visitor Amenity Area under the Conservation Amendment Bill.
The corporate developer could build a luxury resort and all the infrastructure that goes with it – roads, water supplies, power supplies, sewerage treatment, helicopter pads, new wharfs, high fences to protect it from the regular visitors.
Of course there would be an uproar but it should not be allowed in the first place. We love Rangitoto as it is.
Stand up against the Conservation Amendment Bill.
Join us in Auckland on Saturday, September 19th 2026 at 1pm for a peaceful protest to defend conservation land.
Take Action(1) Clause 23 of the Conservation Amendment Bill introduces a new Part 3D Visitor Amenity Areas. This Part gives the Minister the power to create Visitor Amenity Areas for amenities including “toilets, visitor centres, accommodation, car parks, restaurants, and cafes… any other infrastructure that supports visitors and recreational activities; and… related services include tour operator services, catering, merchandising, guiding, transportation, and equipment rental.”. These Areas can be created in a national park, conservation park, stewardship area, or a reserve.
(2) Clause 23 also includes new section 16 E which states that “The Minister may proceed with a proposal regardless of whether the Minister’s decisions on the location of the VAA or content of the VAA chapter will be inconsistent with … the purposes for, or principles under which, the conservation park, stewardship area, national park, or reserve is held.”
