National Parks Act 1980

National parks - Establishment, exclusion of land from, and definition of parks

14A: Special provisions relating to wilderness areas under Reserves Act 1977 or Conservation Act 1987

You could also call this:

"Rules for keeping wilderness areas within national parks"

This law talks about what happens when an area that was already set aside as a wilderness area under other laws becomes part of a national park. Even though it's now part of a national park, the Minister can decide to keep it as a wilderness area. They do this by making an announcement in the official government newsletter called the Gazette.

When this happens, some important people need to think about whether the area should stay a wilderness area or if its boundaries should change. These people are the Director-General, who makes the first plan for managing the area, the Board, who looks at this plan, and the Authority, who approves the plan.

After they've thought about it, the Authority tells the Minister what they think should happen. The Minister can then make another announcement in the Gazette to say what will happen to the wilderness area. Whatever the Minister decides in this announcement will become the new rule for that area.

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This page was last updated on 13 May 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM37923.

Topics:

Environment and resources > Conservation

14: Wilderness areas, or

"The government can protect special untouched areas in national parks"

15: Amenities areas, or

"Special areas in national parks for facilities and services"

Part 1National parks
Establishment, exclusion of land from, and definition of parks

14ASpecial provisions relating to wilderness areas under Reserves Act 1977 or Conservation Act 1987

This section applies where land set apart as or declared to be a wilderness area under the Reserves Act 1977 or the Conservation Act 1987 is constituted as a park.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, where this section applies, the Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, declare that the wilderness area shall continue to be set apart as a wilderness area as if the land had been set apart as a wilderness area under section 14.
A declaration under subsection (2) shall have effect according to its tenor subject to the following provisions:
the Director-General (in preparing the first management plan for the area) and the Board (in considering that plan) and the Authority (before approving that plan) shall consider whether or not the area should continue to be a wilderness area and whether or not any boundary adjustments should be made to the area:
the Authority shall make a recommendation on the matter to the Minister:
after receipt of a recommendation under paragraph (b), the Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, make such further declarations or provisions with respect to the status of the area as a wilderness area as he or she considers appropriate; and that notice shall have effect according to its tenor.

Notes

Section 14A: inserted, on 13 March 1996, by section 3 of the National Parks Amendment Act 1996 (1996 No 4).