The House worked through the bill in detail, questioned the Minister for Hunting and Fishing, Hon James Meager, and agreed to pass it on to its third reading.
There has been another step forward for Herds of Special Interest.
Today, the Game Animal Council (Herds of Special Interest) Amendment Bill passed through the Committee of the Whole House stage.
As at earlier stages, the strongest opposition came from the Green Party, which continued to argue against the bill on ideological grounds rather than the practical conservation case. Labour also opposed it.
Regardless, this leaves just one step before it becomes law.
What The Bill Does (a quick recap)
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Makes it clear the Minister for Hunting and Fishing can designate a Herd of Special Interest in a National Park.
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Where a herd is designated, it is exempt from the requirement in the National Parks Act to exterminate introduced animals "as far as possible".
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It does this by amending the Game Animal Council Act 2013, with a matching cross-reference added to the National Parks Act so the two laws line up.
NZDA's Position
NZDA supports the bill. It resolves a long-standing conflict between two laws that has held back sensible, hunter-led management of valued herds like the Fiordland Wapiti and the Central North Island Sika. We have backed it the whole way through, with our written submission, Gwyn Thurlow's oral submission to the Environment Committee, and the unanimous NZDA Conference (2025) vote in support of Wapiti and Sika as Herds of Special Interest.
We also asked the Committee to go further, including amending the National Parks Act directly. We were pleased to see a cross-reference added into the National Parks Act, contributing to the legal certainty we called for.
Why It Matters
Once this bill is law, the HOSI designation process can finally be used where our most valued herds actually live, inside the National Park estate. That means better hunting through healthy, well-managed herds, and better conservation outcomes through managed densities and habitat protection. It also puts hunters where we belong, recognised as partners in looking after the places we value.
What Happens Next
The final step is the third reading, the last debate and vote in Parliament. If the bill passes, it goes to the Governor-General for Royal assent and becomes law.
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