Game Animal Council Establishment Committee

Dear Kate,
I am writing at the behest of our national executive, and on the insistence of some of our members.

New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association was pleased to endorse the release of the establishment committee report, proposing a model for a game animal council, which you released in late June this year. We understood from advice received at that time that you were likely to respond to that report within sixty working days, i.e. three months. This advice came directly from establishment committee members.

New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association is anxious to draw your attention to the fact that this period has now elapsed by a further two months. We observe that many of our members are putting pressure on us at the national executive level, to provide some answers about this process.

We of course, can do no more than refer them to the process of deliberation you are now undertaking.

It is fair to say we at New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association are finding the length of time being taken to arrive even at a preliminary decision, increasingly difficult.

Hunter expectations of this process have been high from its outset, especially after your own very positive address at our 2010 annual conference when you stated that ‘I expect the Government will be in a position to announce its formal response by September’.

I would greatly appreciate your advice as to:

• Whether you are any closer to being able to release a decision or decisions on this report
• Whether you have a time-line in mind for reporting your decision(s) to The House, and to stakeholders like ourselves
• Whether New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association can engage with your further or if it can provide any further advice or assistance, on behalf of its membership

Please feel free to ring me to discuss this letter and any questions you have.

We look forward to a resolution of this matter by your delivery of decisions and reports to the House of Representatives.

New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association looks forward to supporting the Game Animal Council proposal and its much anticipated establishment in 2011,

Yours sincerely,
Alex McIver,
National President
New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association