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In recognition of the need for National Parks and protected areas in the South Pacific, the New Zealand Government hosted the First South Pacific Conference on National Parks and Reserves in 1975, in association with the South Pacific Commission (SPC) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This meeting was at Ministerial. A second South Pacific Conference on National Parks and Reserves, also at Ministerial level, was held in 1979 in Australia. This was hosted by the Australian Government and the Government of New South Wales, which adopted the conference as one of the events celebrating the Centennial of the Royal NationaL Park as the first national park in Australia. The 1979 Conference decided that the third Conference should be hosted by a Pacific Island country.

This is the Verbatim Transcript, Volume 2 proceeedings of the second South Pacific Conference on National Parks and Reserves held in April 1979 in Sydney Australia

Our political and economic relations with Australia, the United States, Canada, Japan and the countries of South- East Asia are of particular importance. Almost half of our overseas trade is with Pacific countries, and this is growing steadily. As part of our good neighbour policy, we have tried to help in the economic development of other island states also, and to increase trade "between South Pacific countries. An important reason why New Zealand and its neighbours have become very closely associated, has been the movement of Pacific peoples to this country. Some are New Zealand citizens, and move freely back and forth. The Treaty of Friendship signed in August 1962, for instance, has maintained our long-standing association with Western Samoa, and has resulted in a steady flow of immigrants from that country.