Working Better with Business on the Public Conservation Lands
Amending Current Concessions Provisions
19. It is proposed to amend 17Z(2) of the Conservation Act 1987 to allow for permits to be granted for a term not exceeding 10 years, and amend 17T(4) to introduce discretion to not publicly notify the intent to issue licences up to a maximum term of 10 years. In both cases the Minister has discretion to require a mid-term (5 year) review of the concession conditions.
20. The current concessions provisions of Part IIIB of the Conservation Act 1987 came into force in 1996. Included were sections that restrict the granting of concessions as permits to a maximum of 5 years, and a requirement that the intent to issue all licences is publicly notified. Any concessionaire wanting a concession term longer than five years must be issued a licence or lease, and the intent to issue this must be publicly notified.
21. The current restriction to five year terms for non-notified applications adds cost and administrative burden to business operators in that they must pay for the re-application process every five years, or undergo cost and time delays (approximately $2000 and about 6 months) of public notification to get a 10 year term. This adds cost to small concessionaires (they must either pay for the notification and get a longer term, or re-apply at further cost after five years) and tends to reduce incentives to invest in these business opportunities.
22. Additionally, a large proportion of the Department of Conservation (DOC) concession staff resources have been dedicated to processing applications for renewals of 5-year permits without significant adverse effects, at the expense of higher priority activities such as effects monitoring.
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