New legislation expected after High Court ruling.
The New Zealand government is planning to revise the Wildlife Act following a recent High Court decision. The court found that authorizing harm to protected wildlife species under section 53 of the act was unlawful. Conservation Minister Tama Potaka stated that the decision does not affect projects already underway, such as the Mt Messenger highway and Fast Track initiatives.
However, the ruling may delay other projects, including infrastructure developments for solar farms, plantation forests, and powerline maintenance, which are essential for supporting New Zealand's growing economy. The government intends to amend the law promptly to enable these activities to proceed lawfully, while maintaining safeguards for wildlife protection.
The proposed changes aim to provide certainty for existing projects and give developers confidence that they will not be prosecuted if their projects incidentally kill protected species despite having prior authorization and complying with conditions set by authorities.