Institutional arrangements for conservation on private land in New Zealand

One-third of New Zealand's land is protected as Crown-owned national park or reserve. Large areas of land with high conservation values remain in private ownership. In particular, many rare and valuable types of native forest, especially in lowland and coastal areas, are found only on private land. A framework for analysing the institutional arrangements for protecting conservation values on private land is outlined in terms of costs, benefits and efficiency. The choice of either public or private provision may not provide the flexibility necessary to achieve conservation objectives. Narrowly defined institutions focus on a particular subset of landowners, limiting participation by others. A more flexible and dynamic arrangement could harness the private benefits of protection across a greater diversity of landowners. This should lead to more efficient protection.