High Country Pastoral Leases

Forest and Bird, Issue 250, 1 November 1988, Page 30

High Country Pastoral Leases

The 2.4 million hectares of South Island High Country (10% of New Zealand) under pastoral lease includes high mountains, glaciers, vast natural tussocklands and many rare plants and animals. In February 1986, the Prime Minister assured high country farmers that Landcorp would be sold these leases. We ran a major campaign against this decision over the next 6 months. Finally, in September 1986, the Government decided to retain the leases land in Crown ownership. Landcorp was to manage the leases as the Crowns agent. The Conservation Department was to safeguard conservation and recreation values on the leases.

Government is now pushing for a split of the leases between the conservation and production lands. There are many parts of the leases such as mountain tops which are unsuited for grazing and areas which contain high conservation values that should be allocated to DoC. Equally there are parts which are best suited to intensive farming and could be freeholded. A residue remains of multiple use tussocklands which both Forest and Bird and recreation groups (our High Country Coalition) and High Country Federated Farmers believe should be retained in Crown ownership and managed for conservation, recreation and pastoral farming. Treasury disagrees and wants to sell off the lot! The debate continues.