The National Wilding Conifer Control Programme Governance Group invited feedback from the wilding conifer control community and stakeholders on the draft of a refreshed national strategy for wilding conifer management in New Zealand.
As well as setting the strategic direction for the programme, the strategy will also inform Biosecurity New Zealand's (MPI's) development of a National Pest Management Plan for Wilding Conifers, announced by the Minister for Biosecurity in May 2026.
The draft strategy was informed by contributions from across the wilding conifer community. This included review of background information, discovery interviews with representatives of key groups involved in wilding conifer management, workshops open to all interested parties, and hui with iwi and hapū representatives. Together, these engagements brought a wide range of perspectives from across Aotearoa New Zealand that helped shape the strategy.
Key themes from these are captured in the Pre-draft Discussion Document and Summary of workshops and hui.
The process has been overseen by the Governance Group and a dedicated Strategy Working Group, comprising representatives from a broad cross-section of organisations and interests.
The feedback period was open 13 August - 9 October 2026. Feedback is now collated and has been shared with Andrew Harrison, who has drafted the strategy. He will review and analyse the feedback and then revise the draft into a final strategy. We expect the Governance Group to endorse the final Strategy by the end of 2026, and for it to be published in early 2027.
Below is a summary of the structure of the document.
There is an introduction that sets out the context for the refreshed strategy, including what has been achieved since the original strategy in 2014, and key foundational lessons that are part of the thinking behind this draft strategy.
The vision statement is a brief description of what we want to see when we look at New Zealand’s landscapes and land management systems in 20 years’ time. It’s an imagined picture of the future we want. A vision should be aspirational, future focussed and grounded in reality.
The vision is what the strategy drives towards.
The strategy sets out the outcomes that wilding conifer management contributes to (the ‘why’ we do it), and goals for wilding conifer management (the ‘what’ we need to do) to reach the vision.
The focus areas and actions within these describe in general terms the work that needs to be done to strengthen wilding conifer management and help us move together towards the vision.
The success factors and measures are tangible evidence we can look for and monitor, to know that we are heading in the right direction.
Strategy implementation is outlined, including governance arrangements, the roles of key participants, and development of a National Operational Plan that translates the strategy and future national pest management plan objectives into coordinated delivery.
