National Board Reports August 2026

NZDA 2026-27 National Board, photographed at the 78th Conference and AGM in Wellington. (Absent; Mark Hastie)

For this month's newsletter, I would like to share an update recently provided to all Branch Presidents, Past National Presidents and National Life Members. These reviews are important to the future of NZDA and may not have been widely shared beyond branch committees.

Firstly, I would like to thank all the Branches that attended Conference 2026. For those unable to attend, we look forward to seeing you next year.

I would also like to thank the Branches and National Life Members who supported me and the elected Board members. The strong support shown at Conference provided a clear endorsement of both the direction of the Association and the work being undertaken nationally.

Conference and the AGM provided valuable insights into how we can continue to strengthen NZDA. Over recent years, we have built significant momentum through membership growth, a stronger national profile, and increasing influence within government and the wider hunting sector. Our challenge now is to maintain that momentum while ensuring our governance, policies and internal structures remain fit for purpose.

With that in mind, I recently initiated three high-level reviews:

1. Governance Review - Led by Wayne Smith, this review will examine how our governance arrangements can continue to evolve to support an increasingly active national organisation. It may result in recommendations for constitutional change.
2. National Association Policy Review - Led by Ash Foley with input from the full Board, this review will assess our existing policies, their relevance, review status and where new or updated policies may be required.
3. Internal Portfolio and Representative Review - Led by Trevor Dibben with input from the full Board, this review will examine the effectiveness and relevance of portfolios, committees, representative roles, affiliations and external appointments held on behalf of NZDA.

These reviews are not about change for the sake of change. They are about ensuring NZDA's structure and resources keep pace with the Association's growth and remain focused on delivering the greatest benefit to members and recreational hunters.

The past few months have been busy across the Association, with some great examples of branch activity, community involvement, and member engagement.

This year's Conference and Expo was a huge success. We had strong attendance from members, branches, sponsors, industry partners and the general public, with plenty of positive feedback about the programme and expo displays. There was a lot happening throughout the event, which made for a busy few days for staff, volunteers, and organisers. A huge thank you goes to everyone who helped make the event run smoothly. The conference continues to be an important opportunity for members to connect, share ideas, and discuss the future of NZDA and whilst  there are often robust debates we are there for the same goal.

The North Taranaki Branch has continued its excellent work supporting the local community through the donation of wild game meat to a local charity. This has been well received and provides quality protein to those who need it most. The story was also picked up by local media, generating positive coverage and helping showcase the good work NZDA members do outside of hunting. This was a great example of hunters giving back to their communities and promoting a positive image of our Association.

The Waikato Branch recently ran a successful fundraiser featuring a helicopter hunting trip as the main prize. The fundraiser is to help raise money for a heat pump for those cold Waikato evenings.

Overall, it has been a busy but positive period, with strong member engagement, successful events, and branches continuing to make a meaningful contribution both within NZDA and in their local communities. Looking forward there is always more to do and the work never stops.

Coming into the role of North Island Rep has already been a great opportunity to learn more about the different organizations and clubs that make up our community. Cheers to everybody who has given me their time over the last month, it is helped a lot with getting up to speed.

Earlier in August, I attended the celebratory event marking the passing of the Arms Act with Minister Nicole McKee and the ACT party at parliament. Thank you to Minister McKee, and her team, for their support of the firearms community and working to enable fairer and representative legislation for firearms owners.

President Graeme Blanchard invited me to the Porirua club night, which was a great opportunity to meet members and better understand the issues facing local clubs. Graeme and his team recently visited the Tauanui Hut in the Aorangi Forest Park. For those who don’t know, it has recently been closed to the public due to the recent flooding. Since then Graeme,  Back Country huts, DoC, and the Wellington & Hutt Valley NZDA branches have met to devise a plan to relocate the hut. If you are keen to get involved, drop me a line and I can put you guys in touch.

There has been a lot of positive publicity around the new Game Changer initiative, being undertaken in conjunction with the Game Animal Council. The goal is to get protein into the hands of those in need, and Wellington branch did their part and recently contributed more than a 100kg of wild venison to the cause. If you are interested in donating venison to a charitable organisation, please look at the Game Changer initiative and sign up.

I’m looking forward to getting to know more of the local clubs over the coming months. If you are running a club night or special event, please feel free to reach out and I’ll do my best to make the trip.

I trust everyone is keeping warm in these colder months, in the South Island at least, Whilst the snow is good for the local economy, it creates great hunting opportunities for those who enjoy getting out during winter.

August has been a particularly active month across the Lower South Island, with branches contributing strongly to hunting, conservation, training and community engagement. Club hunts have seen good participation and some great results, while also providing an opportunity to build camaraderie, strengthen relationships and support the mental health and overall wellbeing of members.

The Fiordland Wapiti herd being designated New Zealand’s first Herd of Special Interest (HOSI) is a significant development. This is a historic milestone for the FWF changing the legal status of Fiordland Wapiti from unwanted pests to a managed resource moving away from the previous legislative position of seeking eradication of introduced animals. Roy Sloan and his team at the FWF continue to play a key role in managing the herd.

The Blue Mountains hunting ballot has transitioned to DOC’s new online system and has been well received by hunters. Hunters have adapted quickly and the system appears to be working well, providing a more straightforward process.

Blue Mountains 1080 aerial predator-control operation during the early months of winter. Whilst there have been reports of deer mortality, the use of Prodeer appears to have done its job. Hunters continue to report good numbers of deer and ongoing hunting opportunities in the area.

The National Wild Goat Hunting Competition commenced on 1 August and is already generating strong participation, with good entries in Otago being reported and some impressive heads taken.

Otago’s HUNTS course has commenced, continuing the branch’s strong commitment to developing and supporting new hunters.

Lower South Island hunters have also performed strongly in the National Antler, Horn and Tusk Competition, with Southern Lakes and Otago members achieving multiple second- and third-place results across several categories.

The region continues to demonstrate strong participation and a willingness by branches and members to contribute to hunting, conservation and the future of our sport.

Hot barrels, best of all have fun