Proposed national policy statement for indigenous biodiversity

Under development
This regulation is not finalised or in effect.

The Government is developing a National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity. This builds on a draft created by the Biodiversity Collaborative Group.

Would be under the

Resource Management Act

Lead agency

MfE with support from the Department of Conservation

Last updated:

On this page

About the proposed National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity
Development of the NPSIB: process to date
What you told us during the 2019 - 2020 public consultation
Related webpages

Update and next steps

Public consultation and hui on the proposed NPSIB was held in 2019 and 2020. See Proposed NPSIB for more information on the 2019-2020 consultation.

In June 2022 Associate Minister for the Environment (Biodiversity), Hon James Shaw, released an exposure draft of the NPSIB for targeted consultation.

The purpose of the exposure draft was to test the workability of the NPSIB provisions with key groups. It incorporated feedback from the public consultation and hui held in 2019 and 2020. 

The targeted consultation on the exposure draft closed on 21 July.  Officials will now analyse submissions and feedback. Policy change recommendations will be provided to Minister Shaw for decisions before the final policy goes to Cabinet to consider for gazettal. 

About the proposed National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity

In Aotearoa New Zealand we have many native plants, birds and animals that are unique to our country. Some of these, along with their ecosystems, are under threat of extinction. The Government is proposing a National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity. This builds on a draft created by the Biodiversity Collaborative Group. It has been developed by the Ministry for the Environment and the Department of Conservation.

Development of the NPSIB: process to date

  • March 2017 – Biodiversity Collaborative Group (BCG) began the development of a draft NPSIB and complementary and supporting measures.
  • October 2018 – BCG delivered a draft NPSIB and complementary and supporting measures to then Associate Minister for the Environment, Hon Nanaia Mahuta. 
  • October 2018 - Government officials continued to develop the BCGs draft NPSIB. 
  • November 2019 – Public consultation opened on the proposed NPSIB. 
  • March 2020 – Public consultation closed Over 7000 submissions received. (Find out more about the public consultation in the next section.)
  • 31 August 2020 – Summary of submissions published. 
  • 9 June 2022 – Exposure draft released and targeted consultation begins.
  • 21 July 2022 – Exposure draft targeted consultation closes.
  • 2023 – Gazettal of the NPSIB anticipated. 

What you told us during the 2019 - 2020 public consultation

In 2019 and 2020 we held a public consultation on the proposed National Policy Statement on Indigenous Biodiversity.

Proposed National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity (2019)

Discussion document on the proposed national policy statement (2019)

More than 7000 individual submissions were received including form submissions from members of Forest and Bird, Te Reo o Te Taiao. 

Summary of submissions

Spreadsheet of individual submissions [Excel, 1.3 MB].  Please note, to view the submissions by email see: What you told us on the 2019-2020 consultation page.

Forest and Bird form submission [PDF, 70 KB]

Forest and Bird submission comments [Excel, 372 KB]