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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Reserves Act 1977

Administration

4: Minister may require reports as to land to be reserved or otherwise protected

You could also call this:

"Minister can ask for reports to help decide if special land should be protected"

Illustration for Reserves Act 1977

The Minister can ask for reports about land that might be special because of its scenery, history, or wildlife. You might wonder why the Minister wants these reports - it's to decide if the land should be protected. The Minister must get the owner's permission before doing anything on private land or Crown land that is leased.

If the land is owned by the government, it can be set apart as a reserve under the Land Act 1948. The Minister can also ask for surveys of the coastline, lakes, and rivers, as well as surveys of conservation and outdoor recreation areas. These surveys must be finished and reviewed regularly, and they must not break any rules in the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014, which you can read more about here.

The Minister has to follow the rules when deciding what to do with special land, and this includes following the rules in the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014 and section 167 of the Land Act 1948.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM444453.

Topics:
Environment and resources > ConservationEnvironment and resources > Town planningHousing and property > Land use
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3: General purpose of this Act, or

"This law helps protect New Zealand's special areas for you and the public to enjoy."

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5: Restricting application of this Act, or

"When this law doesn't apply to some land, like forest areas, and how other rules can affect reserves"

Part 1Administration

4Minister may require reports as to land to be reserved or otherwise protected

  1. The Minister may from time to time, in order to decide whether any land should be reserved or otherwise protected, cause inquiries or general surveys to be made regarding any land which may possess scenic, historic, cultural, archaeological, biological, geological, or other scientific features or interest, or indigenous flora or fauna, or wildlife, or recreational or natural environment interest:

    provided that no excavation or other activities may be made or carried on on any private land or any Crown land subject to a Crown lease without the consent of the owner of the land first being obtained:

    provided also that no excavation or other activities shall be made or carried on that would contravene the provisions of the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014.

  2. Where any such land is Crown land, it may be set apart as a reserve under section 167 of the Land Act 1948.

  3. Without limiting the generality of subsection (1), every New Zealand wide—

  4. survey of the sea coast, its bays and inlets and offshore islands, or of lake shores and riverbanks; or
    1. survey of conservation and outdoor-recreation requirements; or
      1. biological survey of scenic, nature, and scientific reserves—
          1. that has been commenced but not completed before the commencement of this Act, shall be continued, completed, and from time to time kept under review.

        Compare
        • 1953 No 69 ss 57, 67
        Notes
        • Section 4(1) second proviso: amended, on , by section 107 of the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014 (2014 No 26).