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Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today announced at Karamea on the West Coast the permanent approval of mountain biking on the Heaphy Track from 1 May to 30 September each year.

“The Heaphy Track is New Zealand’s ultimate multi-day mountain biking experience. It traverses dramatic and diverse landscapes from mountain forests, to expansive grasslands and wild West Coast beaches,” Dr Smith says.

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today welcomed the awarding of the international Green Flag to five DOC sites around New Zealand from the Lake Matheson Walk in South Westland.

“These Green Flags are symbols of tourism excellence. They indicate these five DOC sites are premium destinations and well worth a visit by both New Zealanders and international visitors,” Dr Smith says.

“These latest recipients confirm what many of us already know – that our country is home to some of the best parks and green spaces in the world.”

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today announced funding of $800,000 for the Old Ghost Road cycle trail.

“The trail offers a journey back in time to the gold rush days of the 1860s and the long-forgotten settlements of Zalatown, Gibbstown, and remote farms that were abandoned after the 1929 magnitude 7.8 Murchison earthquake reshaped the land and limited access to the area,” Dr Smith says.

90 community groups are to receive $3.6 million in Government funding to support conservation projects throughout the country, Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

“These 90 Biofunds grants are about DOC partnering with communities to protect the birds, plants, landscapes and habitats that make New Zealand special,” Dr Smith says.

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today called for nominations for the new Game Animal Council, which is designed to give hunters a voice in the management of their recreation.

“We are looking for between nine and 11 members with knowledge and expertise covering all aspects associated with managing game animals. This includes recreational and commercial hunting, farming, forestry, Māori hunting interests, and nature conservation,” Dr Smith says.

Environment Minister Amy Adams and Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith have today announced the members of an independent Board of Inquiry to consider a proposal for a new section of highway between Pūhoi and Warkworth.

The proposal was directed to a Board of Inquiry last month by Ms Adams and Dr Smith.

The application by the New Zealand Transport Agency relates to the construction, operation and maintenance of the Pūhoi to Warkworth section of the Ara Tūhono-Pūhoi to Wellsford Road of National Significance.

The Department of Conservation has commissioned an independent financial viability report into the Fiordland monorail proposal being promoted by Riverstone Holdings Limited at the request of Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith.

“This is the most significant concession ever sought on public conservation land and the longest monorail in the world. I want to ensure my decision is based on the best quality advice,” Dr Smith says.

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today announced that the new marine reserve at Akaroa Harbour will come into effect on World Oceans Day on 8 June next year.

“Akaroa is an iconic harbour and hugely popular for its recreation and scenery. This new reserve will ensure better conservation of its marine life and add value to Akaroa as a tourism destination,” Dr Smith says.

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today welcomed the arrival of four new Tasmanian Devils as part of the official opening of a new Devils exhibit at Wellington Zoo.

“Tasmanian Devils are renowned for their big mouths, bad behaviour and noisiness, so they will fit in well with the nation’s politicians in the capital,” Dr Smith says.

“This new exhibit helps the conservation of the Devils, is good for trans-Tasman relations and adds to the attractions at New Zealand’s oldest zoo.

Environment Minister Amy Adams and Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith have today announced the appointment of eight board members to the Auckland Unitary Plan hearings panel.

The Auckland Unitary Plan will be the first combined resource management plan for Auckland and will replace the regional policy statement, and the regional and district plans that Auckland Council inherited from the eight former councils of the Auckland region.

A new Conservation Park on Great Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf is being formally notified for nationwide submissions.

“The Department of Conservation has reported to me on this new park proposal put forward by Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye. This discussion document provides DOC’s analysis on the proposal and is an opportunity for the public to have a say,” Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

The Government has today announced its final Threat Management Plan for dolphins which confirms additional protections for the Maui’s dolphin in Taranaki and releases new promising population estimates for the Hector’s dolphin.

“Our greatest concern is for the critically-endangered Maui’s dolphin. It is the world’s smallest and rarest dolphin with an estimated population of just 55 adults,” Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

Hunters of deer, tahr, chamois and wild pigs will now have a say in their recreation with today’s passage by Parliament of the Game Animal Council Act 69 votes to 51.

“The establishment of the Game Animal Council Act is great news for tens of thousands of New Zealanders who hunt. It enables them to join mountaineers, trampers, game bird hunters, and trout and salmon fishers in having a statutory voice into the management of their recreation on public conservation land,” Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

The proposed new Game Animal Council will have a new responsibility of developing and applying a code of practice for aerially-assisted trophy hunting, Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

“Hunters and other backcountry users are concerned that certain aerially- assisted trophy hunting methods undermine their recreation through un-sportsman-like hunting. They have lobbied to prevent the practices of shooting from the helicopter, or using the helicopter to herd animals towards the hunter or exhaust them through the practice of hazing,” Dr Smith says.

Environment Minister Amy Adams and Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith have announced that the New Zealand Transport Agency’s proposal for a new section of highway between Pūhoi and Warkworth will be directed to an independent Board of Inquiry.

The application relates to the construction, operation and maintenance of the Pūhoi to Warkworth section of the Ara Tūhono-Pūhoi to Wellsford Road of National Significance.

Claims the Government has not heeded advice to expand the protection for Maui’s dolphin are false and overlook the Government’s proposed extension announced in September, Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

The Government is proposing to ban the removal of shark fins and the dumping of the shark carcass at sea, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

The Ministers made the announcement at the Island Bay Marine Education Centre in Wellington, while releasing the National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks for public consultation.

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today opened the new track to one of New Zealand's highest waterfalls as part of commemorations to mark 125 years of the Milford Track in the Fiordland National Park.

"This 1.4 kilometres of new track through some of the most spectacular and rugged terrain in New Zealand opens up access to the awe-inspiring Sutherland Falls. The cascading 580-metre waterfall is one of New Zealand's natural wonders and is an integral part of the Milford Great Walk experience," Dr Smith says.

A partnership between DOC, the Queenstown Lakes District Council, LINZ and the local community aims to clear thousands of hectares of wilding pines in the Wakatipu Basin over the next five years, Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today inspected the site of the proposed Fiordland monorail, met with the applicants, and released official advice recommending he approve the project subject to extensive conditions.

“This ambitious $200 million project involves the building of the world’s longest monorail to enhance the experience of the hundreds of thousands of visitors travelling between Queenstown and Milford Sound,” Dr Smith says.

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith says opposition parties owe him an apology for alleging he interfered in DOC’s decision-making over its submission on the Tukituki catchment project after Parliament’s Speaker today dismissed Labour’s breach of privileges complaint.

“The Speaker’s dismissal of Labour’s complaint confirms that the accusations of political interference were unfounded and untrue. Labour and the Greens should apologise because they got it wrong,” Dr Smith says.

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today announced the establishment of a community-led forum to consider marine protection for the Otago coastline.

“New Zealand has a network of 34 marine reserves covering an area of 1.28 million hectares. However, Otago stands out as being the only region without a marine protected area,” Dr Smith says.

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith has dismissed a privileges compliant by Labour Leader David Cunliffe, describing it as a joke and a political stunt.

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith is requiring the Department of Conservation to review the standards and back-up containment of all fuel tanks in National Parks.

“Our National Parks are our most valued natural environments and I expect the highest standards for storing fuel in these areas. The spill at Turoa ski field was unacceptable and we need to do everything possible to prevent a re-occurrence anywhere else on public conservation land,” Dr Smith says.