Source: Federated Farmers
Today’s decisions on West Coast stewardship land will deliver the long-overdue clarity that farmers and many others have been waiting for, Federated Farmers say.
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka has confirmed that decisions have now been made on approximately 80% of stewardship land assessed on the West Coast – the most significant reclassification of public conservation land since DOC was founded in 1987.
Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Richard Dawkins says this is the certainty farmers have been asking for over many years.
“This decision puts to bed decades of confusion and gives farmers confidence about the future of the land they’ve responsibly managed for generations.
“Having appropriate classifications assigned finally means those who use the land, such as farmers, know what they can and can’t do on that land.
“It’s clarity, certainty and commonsense – and it’s hugely appreciated.”
Stewardship land has been a source of growing uncertainty because it was effectively a holding category created in 1987 when DOC was formed.
Land that didn’t fit neatly into a particular classification – and was often important to local communities for grazing, mining, tourism and recreation – was parked in the stewardship basket since 1987 until a national review could take place.
“For nearly 40 years this land has just sat there in limbo. It badly needed to be sorted, and Minister Potaka has now done exactly that,” Dawkins says.
“I want to also acknowledge Simon Cameron, Federated Farmers meat & wool vice chair, and West Coast president, who’s done a huge amount of work on this.”
He says many people had begun with the assumption stewardship land was inherently high-value conservation land.
“That’s been frustrating, because much of this land was excluded from National Park status precisely because of its community value, long-standing grazing, and lower conservation attributes.
“People were starting to reinterpret what this land was, and that created real anxiety for the farmers with grazing licences.
“It had become a major headache, but today’s decision ends that uncertainty.”
More than 190,000 hectares will be protected under the Reserves Act, and over 300,000 hectares will receive additional protection under the Conservation Act.
Potaka says another 4300 hectares will be considered for addition to National Parks, and a further 3300 hectares will be investigated for disposal.
Existing rights such as grazing licences and tourism concessions will continue for their full term.
A key part of the announcement is that reclassified areas will become Conservation Park, supported by a much simpler and clearer planning framework that will be introduced in next year’s proposed amendments to the Conservation Act.
The old system – with multiple overlapping strategies, management plans and interpretation challenges – will be replaced by just two documents: a National Policy Statement for Conservation, and a straightforward area plan.
“The Minister has assured us that grazing, mining, recreation and tourism will be clearly identified as permitted activities where appropriate,” Dawkins says.
“That level of clarity is exactly what farmers need.”
The West Coast reclassification covers 644,000 hectares, and Dawkins estimates more than 400,000 hectares currently have grazing licences attached.
“That’s not new land. These are long-established runs – many farmers are managing pieces of land their families have grazed for generations,” he says.
While Federated Farmers is strongly supportive of today’s decision, Dawkins says some important details must still be worked through.
“As they say, the devil is in the detail.
“The first thing is tenure length. Current 10-year grazing licences with no right of renewal are inadequate for long-term farm planning.
“Ten years is not certainty – it’s sitting on the fence. We’re looking for 15-year licences as a minimum without public notification, and ideally 25 to 30 years.”
The second is pricing. DOC has previously attempted to benchmark grazing licence fees against pastoral leases, despite pastoral lessees having exclusive possession – something grazing licensees on public conservation land do not enjoy.
“It’s apples and oranges. Anyone can access these areas at any time under DOC rules, and that creates risks for both farmers and the public.”
Dawkins says Federated Farmers will continue working with DOC to ensure access is well managed.
“We absolutely want hunters, trampers, rafters and tourists to enjoy these areas.
“We just need simple communication protocols so everyone knows who is where. It’s about safety and giving people the best possible experience.
“If a farmer is heading up in a chopper to muster cattle back down a valley, they need to know if trampers are in the area or there could be some real problems for everyone.”
Dawkins says today’s announcement is a landmark moment.
“This has been hanging over farmers since 1987. Today the Government has delivered, and that means farmers can get on with managing the land well for the next generation.”
Federated Farmers looks forward to continuing to work with Minister Potaka and DOC as the detail is finalised.
