Enhancing biodiversity preservation on privately owned land: An analysis of New Zealand’s policy approach

A large amount of New Zealand’s critical remaining habitat for endemic species is located on private land. In its biodiversity strategy, the government proposes several types of economic incentives to encourage voluntary conservation by private landowners. This research investigates the factors affecting the likely response by landowners to those incentives, with a particular focus on the overall potential efficacy of the biodiversity strategy in preventing additional biodiversity loss. A case study approach is used to examine the application of the principal policy tools proposed in the strategy, and regional variations in policy implementation are considered. The analysis suggests that the government’s initiatives are not likely to achieve the desired result of ‘no net loss’ of biodiversity. Additional incentive measures are needed, particularly where larger areas of vegetation are concerned. The current voluntary approach favours individual landowners who already have a preference to conserve. Those who do not are excluded by the current policy approach, leaving large areas of native vegetation vulnerable to destruction or neglect.