Molesworth Station

Forest and Bird, Issue 305, 1 August 2002, Unnumbered Page (Supplement)

Molesworth Station

arlborough’s 180,476 ha Molesworth Station is a key area of high country owned by the Crown. While popularly known as New Zealand’s largest farm, much of Molesworth’s dryland landscapes have outstanding conservation values. The current pastoral farming regime, involving the grazing of up to 10,000 head of cattle, does not adequately protect these values. Land Information NZ (LINZ) which manages Molesworth, leases it to the SOE Landcorp Farming.

LINZ’s review of the Molesworth management plan and the expiry of the Landcorp lease in 2005 are a chance for major changes to benefit conservation. If Molesworth was transferred to the Department of Conservation (DoC), large areas could then be protected and opened up to the public as conservation land. Grazing could occur in suitable areas.

oe Marlborough isa & biodiversity hot spot with around 50 species of endemic flowering plants, 40% of which are found on Molesworth. Twelve nationally rare plant species are found on Molesworth, as well as a diverse lizard fauna. A 1994 report for DoC’s Protected Natural Areas programme recommended that 52,000 ha (30%) of Molesworth be protected on ecological grounds. Extensive areas beyond this are also important for conservation and for their landscape and recreation values. The current management plan and the Molesworth Steering Committee — which oversees its implementation — have been ineffective in preventing stock access to these high value areas. Only 12 kms of new fencing for conservation purposes have been established in the last ten years. The management plan’s primary objective is soil conservation reflecting Molesworth’s history and the devastating impacts of grazing by sheep and rabbits. This has encouraged the replacement of indigenous vegetation with exotic pasture grasses through oversowing and topdressing. Protection of conservation values has been and is secondary to pastoral farming. Molesworth’s dramatic landscapes offer much of interest to tramping, mountain biking, and walking enthusiasts. Yet there is no free access for the public. Except for a couple of short walks, prospective users must get permission from Landcorp to go beyond the road. The gravel road through Molesworth, linking Marlborough’s Awatere Valley to Hanmer Springs, is closed to the public except for a short 6-7 week season between December and January. More than 7,500 people used the route last summer.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Write to the Ministers of Lands and Conservation asking for Molesworth to be transferred from LINZ to DoC and managed as conservation land and farm park.

; SOUTH ISLAND HIGH COUNTRY CAMPAIGN a