New Zealand will make it easier to run businesses in conservation areas

2/8/2025 13:01

New Zealand will make it easier to run businesses in conservation zones and charge foreign tourists to enter some areas in an effort to create jobs and increase economic growth, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Saturday.



The decision by the centre-right government, elected in 2023, is part of its efforts to boost New Zealand's tourism industry and stimulate a limp economy.



It also comes at a time when people in countries around the world are protesting what they see as excessive numbers of tourists.



"We're going to fix the Conservation Act to unleash a fresh wave of concessions – like tourism, agriculture, and infrastructure, in locations where that makes sense," Luxon said in a statement.



Business activities from guided walks and skiing to livestock grazing and infrastructure construction already take place in conservation areas, but permission takes too much time and effort to obtain, he said.



"Unleashing economic growth on one-third of New Zealand's land will create jobs and increase wages across the country," the statement said.