Todd McClay: New charter for hunting and fishing

Published Nov 3, 2024, 2:48 AM

The Government has announced a new charter to improve access to public conservation land for fishing and hunting. 

The charter will help the Department of Conservation to provide consistent guidance across the country. 

Minister for Hunting and Fishing, Todd McClay, joins Tim Beveridge with more. 

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Fishing Lover and every day that's spread out of country Bard Brains.

Thank god me in this way.

Hunting fishing every day, early morning.

Leading.

I'm getting read dir Rich Flee River paid fishing, love it every day.

Yes, welcome back to the Weekend Collective. I wonder if that wonder if that particular song is on the playlist of my next next guest on the show, given that he is Minister Hunting and Fishing. But anyway, we got a couple of topics we're going to cover with Todd McLay. The government has announced a new charter to improve access to public conservation land for fishing and hunting. The charter is going to help the Department of Conservation to provide consistent guidance across the country so that everyone's on the same page. And also the Minister, he's busy. He's leading a large trade delegation to the China International Import Expo in Shanghai next week to strengthen New Zealand's economic partnership with China and grower exports. So the Minister for Hunting and Fishing and the Minister for Trade, Todd McLay is with me.

Now good, I hate Tim how Yes, it's going to go on my playlist.

I like.

I even don't know who it is. In fact, I ask my producer who is singing? Actually goes, I don't know. But we've found the country in western song and hunt and fishing anyway, and now on that improved access to land for fishing and hunting, what is the problem that needs fixing?

Well, look, a charter is just something that sets out sort of rules, rights and obligations in one place so that they can be seen and easily understood. And so we haven't to change any laws or policy necessarily. But one of the things that comes up with me quite regularly when I talk to people a hunt and fish recreation quite a lot is just a bit of uncertainty about what those rules are. So we decided to put a charter in place and if anything at probably guides us in the Department of Conservation. But more that says, you know, New Zealanders have a right to access public conservation land at all times, including for hunting and fishing, but there are some rules around that when you need to hunt and fish. We're going to make sure that we make it as easy as possible to have that access, and that we want the rules or the way that they are applied around the country to be a lot more uniform. So if you want to go and do something fishing in the top of the North Island of the bottom of the South Island, that generally you're able to there are few, if any restrictions. The way that we all implement you know, the policies will be largely the same, and where we do need to have restrictions for any reason, they'll be rare and we'll explain very clearly those reasons.

Why is this something about just sending a positive message? So if the decisions around certain access to certain areas rests with a bureaucrat, they've been sent a signal that Locke, don't say no unless you really have to. Is it more about Is that sort of it or am I?

Yeah? Look, it's as much about that as anything us.

We've also set out sort of the obligations that you know that the members of the public have as well.

But yes, it is that.

So when I became the Minister Hunting and Fishing year ago, and I'm very proud, very privilege of being New Zealand's first minister. I was really clear to the Department to do that. I want to make it easier for people to enjoy their recu recreation, not harder, and the restrictions should be few and far between and from time to time they're necessary.

And what we had when we had a little look at this.

And some of it's anecdotal that you know, someone in the South Island might be applying the access provisions differently than the North Island. And when we sort of when a member of the public raisers we look at it, the dock may change their position so it is a lot more uniform. So this really just sends a signal to them that says we want people to hunt and fish where they want to. Yep, they're going to be safe and there are some rules, but let's roll it sleeves on and just make it easy for them.

Any advocacy supporting what you've done or on the other side, any pushback on.

This, No, no pushback, but certainly Fish and Game who the statute body responsible for, you know, working out how people might fish, and also bird shooting and the Game Animal Content Council also who are a statutory body that sort of manage game animals, deer, pigs, car things like that that come out very very supportive. The one thing I did say at the department was that it's not just for us to work out what we should do, go and engage and so they pretty broadly over the last two or three months talk to a stakeholders New Zealand Deer Stalkers Association, you know, hunts, some sous is to get a feel for for what it should look like. And so yesterday at the Seeker Show, which is New Zealand's premier hunting show, which is at Mystery Creek with Chrystopher Ucton, were able to launch this and it was very well received from the hunters themselves, who, by the way, just want to go hunting.

I just want to go fishing.

Does it make any difference on issues like wallabee population and getting a few more hunters and then to get hold out.

So all the answer is is that can do. And we're having a really good look at that. I mean where I live, I'm remember pun of Road. They estimate it's about a million wallabies here right, It's a huge number. They cause a lot of harm to buy diversity and by the farmers and so on.

We're actually having.

A really good look at how we can manage that a lot better and in partnership as opposed to just being the government's job. You know, there's about eight million dollars a year spent on Wallabie control and it's not clear we're winning that battle, and so you know there'll be much more effective ways to do that.

But the answer is yes. Also, it does.

Mean that, you know, with this new charta in place, it's really clear how people get access when they should and we're very keen to work with hunters to manage animal numbers rather than just spending taxpayer money doing it, which sometimes is harder than it needs to be.

Yeah, good stuff. Now you are off to China with you've got a pretty big delegation and you're also seem to be on a roll. I don't mind putting saying. With the success in the Middle East, what can we help to expect out of this trip to China.

Yeah, well, you just mentioned that I was up very quickly to Dohar last week and we completed a negotiation for a free trade agreement with the Golf Cooperation country Stack SIXEM there.

That's a big deal for New Zealand.

It's a very wealthy market willing to spend good money for good, safe food and other products, and for the last seventeen or eighteen years we've been trying.

We're already get that over the line this week.

But just I think I've had seven visits up there, so it was a very quick trip.

And you're right.

I'm off on a plane this afternoon to China, to Shanghai to attend one of the world's largest trade shows and exhibitions. There's about seventeen New Zealand companies going to be up there. It's the largest footprint New Zealand's ever had at this show. You know, we're taking more space for New Zealand companies than any time before. And there's a few other businesses going up, not exhibiting, but are going up to support the trade delegation and mission that I'm leading, and so there will be some deals that are likely to be signed there, which is great news for those companies. So if a minister goes along, generally couple of things open doors. We get to help businesses engage with clients or potential clients they wouldn't otherwise it sometimes speeds up the decision making of you know, ken being put to paper. But you know, we're just backing these these zeal And businesses to do even more, to do.

Better in that market.

You know, experts is how we make sure we create jobs and kiwis earn better money for the work they do.

Does that mean that the emphasis on the the emphasis on this visit, is it more about you facilitating helping to facilitate business to business rather than you going in and having meeting with meetings with other politicians, et cetera. It's more about supporting the seventy businesses that are going.

Yeah, completely absolutely.

You're seeing Christoph Luckxon do three trade missions this year already, one up to Singapore, one through Southeast Asia, and then I joined them on one to Japan.

And it's to support those businesses.

And so I've said a really clear message of anything that we can do within the time available to help them do business in that market.

That's why we're going up there.

I will have a number of political meetings as well too, with my counterpartner others and that in some of the state governments as well as you know, the Chinese government itself will use that as an opportunity to continue to grow and the best in that relationship. But first and foremost supposed to Shanghai and then a few days later up to Guangzhou with a lot of keeping companies doing well. We're just up there to support their men, you know, make sure they can do the best that they can.

How do events such as the US election change the dynamic of the dealings you have with in countries like China, et cetera.

Well, it's going to be fascinating because of course we'll be there the election happens, and I suppose we all learned the result. You know, the world is sort of sitting back a little bit and looking and wondering what the outcome of the U S election will be and what it will mean for them. But interestingly, traders always challenging for New Zealand. You know, we produce high qualities, safe food that the world wants, but there's a lot of protection around. So we've always got to work really really hard to make sure we can do well in markets anywhere, and that's very much the reason why we've been out on the road.

We've done two trade.

Deals this ye with the UAE and one with the GCC, just you know, getting getting the rules in place, and New Zealand businesses can have some certain you can rely upon them and so look, we'll wait and see. But whatever the outcome of the US election, New Zealand has ability to work you know, across the aisle with any with any with with the next president. It's a very important relationship for us, including a political one, and ministers up there pretty quickly.

I guess what I mean is if say there's a Trump presidency and he goes ahead with the tariffs, which you're going to make a big difference, especially for China. I guess with the United States, does that mean it's easier for US to deal with China because they need more friends outside of the dealings with the States.

I think from a trade point of view, it's easy for us to get products into the market. If a Trump administration does put high teriff rights on punitively on other countries, then you're likely to see big economies like China.

Or the EU reciprocate.

That's not good for trade, these barriers, these casts, But for New Zealand there are sometimes all these opportunities.

I've sort of.

Made the case directly to the US Trade rep that my equivalent in the US equivalent minister, and a bit more broadly through the media that if the next administration of the US wants to do that, then I don't think it would be helpful, but they should exempt New Zealand because what sort of signal does it send if you do that to your friends compared to others that you have a more challenging trade relationship. And we will be making the case for an exemption. But look, lex's wait and see. There's always opportunity for Keywis if we do well and if there's protection and high high tariff rates elsewhere. You know, with our trade agreements, those can't be put in place against US, and so we have certainly in the.

Chinese market, the UK, the EU will do okay.

But you know, high tariff rates in the US wouldn't be good for trade around the world.

So the deal that you did in the Middle East, have you got any other big announcements that you're sort of not sitting on but looking forward that you might be able to make in the next six months or so.

Well, we're working really really hard on that relationship with India, and I think that's the next big one for New Zealand. We're way away from being able to say, you know, hand on heart, we will be able to launch a negotiation, a trade agreement negotiation.

With them, but we're putting a lot of effort.

And Chris Luxon was very clear, you know, in coming into government, we want our relationship with India. There's a strategic priority for this government and we have to invest in it across the board, people to people, culture, you know, it's a bit of defense talk about how we might cooperate and of course it's going to be trade. So I've had three or four visits up there this year and I think I've met my my Indian trade counterpart, Minister Goyal, six or seven times in India around the world. We're pushing and working really, really hard, but it's going to take a lot more effort because that relationship over the last four or five years felt a bit underdone. That's the prize though, over the next two or three or four years for New Zealand, if we can get a deal with India, as Australia already has one, the level of playing for our exports, you know, one point four billion people there and growing, they're becoming wealthier, they want what we produce. We've just got to get a trade deal in place, because some of those terriff rates are very high.

Yeah, just one last question, more just about the behind the scenes stuff. So when you hit it over I think you said you went to Doha to sort that o g ME out with those number of the states over there. Did you know when you were heading over there that you were going to do a deal or is there some magic that happens in the room when you get face to face that delivers an outcome that you were hoping for but didn't know.

No, in this case, when I went up there last week and jent on the plane Wednesday night and I got there, we knew that it was it was finished, and we were going up to formally announce it in a ceremony with the six ministers from those countries. But when I had my first meeting with a GCC minister, which was in February of this year, it was the Double DO World Trade Organization Ministerial Trade Negotiation. It was in Doha and I met with the Saundi minister and look again as a negotiation went off and on for seventeen years and I sort of got together with him and I just said to him, I realized that when I trade minister six years ago.

I knew him then and we got on pretty well.

I just I said to him, look, you know, we should either decide to really commit and do this deal or kill it and say it's over. Because we've all been talking about it for a long time. We're either got to be serious or not. I don't said it very diplomatically, and he agreed, and so he and I with a few other ministers put a lot of effort and I've been up to the golf seven times this year, including two ministerial negotiations. That's when I sit across from them and we actually negotiate and try and make a rich agreement. We've done a few others online and that's what got it there. But the final thing around this is, and this is how I think the world's changed over the last five or six years. You know, these trade agreements are no longer transactional.

You know, I'll buy and sell from you. They're a bit relational.

We have to build relationships with people because actually, as businesses do they trade with people, they get on well with and not all of our values are the same, but you know we can, we can keep working on that and so big opportunities in that market for farmers and a lot of our service providers.

Good stuff. Well, look, good luck with the trip to China. Really appreciate your.

Time this afternoon anytime. Thank you, Terio.

That is our Minister for Hunting and fishing. Hunting and fishing, shall I say properly? And minister portrayed Tom McLay.

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