Linda HallLocal Democracy reporter·Hawkes Bay Today·24 Jun, 2026 11:51 PM5 mins to read‌Forest & Bird regional conservation manager standing in for Hawke’s Bay, Elvisa Van Der Leden, says changes to the Conservation Act, as they stand, would open the door to allow places such as Ahuriri Estuary to be sold or exchanged for private development. Hawke’s Bay’s local MPs say there’s no reason to believe treasured regional landscapes will be sold off as part of the Government’s plans to change the Conservation Act.

But conservation pressure group Forest & Bird says the region should be worried, and claims the law change in particular puts land