High Country Policy
In this section...
- Statement of Intent Homepage 2007/08
- Minister's foreword
- Chief Executive's overview
- Statement of responsibility
- Strategic direction
- Introduction
- Our strategic context
- The outcomes we want for land management and land information
- Our key priorities 2006-2009
- Introduction
- High Country Policy
- Establishing the Geospatial Office
- Regulatory interventions review
- Supporting the 2007 Electoral Representation Commission
- Landonline 100% e-Lodgement programme and associated projects
- Hydrographic Data Infrastructure (HDI)
- Topographic 1:50,000 Map Series
- Overseas Investment Office database
- Risk management
- Focusing on our future capability
- Forecast financial statements
- Appendices
- Contact details
Why High Country Policy is a priority
The Crown owns environmentally-sensitive high country land in the South Island, stretching from Southland to Marlborough. This land is in addition to all of the land in the conservation estate in the South Island. It is generally more than 600 metres above sea level and is concentrated predominately in Otago and Canterbury. The land is generally held under lease or licence, allowing for pastoral production while retaining control over any inherent values present. Historically the land consisted of:
- 304 high country leases (totalling 2,177,571 hectares), granted on a perpetual basis with a 33-year right of renewal
- 17 special leases (totalling 237,807 hectares) with a range of terms and renewal conditions covering land classified as pastoral land under the Land Act 1948 (this includes Molesworth Station1), and
- seven pastoral occupation licences (totalling 25,597 hectares) issued for a maximum of 21 years with a possible extension of five years.
This land has a long history of pastoral use, having been grazed from the mid-19th century. The adoption of the Land Act 1948 increased incentives to manage the land in a sustainable manner by providing for perpetual rights of renewal, sole pasturage, and exclusive occupancy. These rights were carried over in the Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998 (CPLA), with an increase in the controls the Crown can exercise.
In 2003 Cabinet agreed on 10 objectives for the South Island high country as follows:
- promote the management of the Crown's high country land in a way that is ecologically sustainable
- enable reviewable land that is capable of economic use to be freed of current management constraints
- protect significant inherent values of reviewable land by the creation of protective measures or preferably by the restoration of the land concerned to full Crown ownership and control
- secure public access to, and enjoyment of, high country land
- take into account the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi
- take into account any particular purpose for which the Crown uses, or intends to use, the land
- ensure conservation outcomes for the high country are consistent with the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy
- progressively establish a network of high country parks and reserves
- foster sustainability of communities, infrastructure and economic growth and the contribution of the high country to the economy of New Zealand, and
- obtain a fair financial return to the Crown on its high country land assets.
To achieve these goals the Government predominately uses the Tenure Review process and undertakes whole property purchases. Using these two methods, 141,333 hectares of high country land has been returned to full Crown ownership and control. The return of these lands allows the Department of Conservation to manage the significant inherent values (eg biodiversity and recreation) present on the land. In exchange for the return of these lands 161,783 hectares have been transferred into freehold estate.
A High Country Pastoral Lease Review was completed in 2006 by a panel of three valuers. The review addressed South Island pastoral lease rentals and the Tenure Review valuation methodology. The Government has considered the review and issued its Preliminary Response to it.
The review and response have significant implications for both the Crown and pastoral lessees. LINZ is developing policy to address the implications of the Government response and aims to reach a durable outcome that is fair and reasonable for both parties.
Contribution to end outcomes
Certainty of New Zealand's property rights and interests.
Best use of Crown assets.
Contribution to intermediate outcomes
An effective system for defining and transacting land.
Effective and efficient management of Crown land and liabilities.
Activities
The key activities in this area relate to the provision of policy advice, including:
- the valuation methodology for setting rents - the development of policy to address the implications of the Government's response to the High Country Pastoral Lease Review will ensure that a fair financial return is achieved on the Crown's high country assets
- the identification of marginal strips information - this information will make it easier for the public to access high country, one of the Government's High Country Objectives, and
- providing greater protection to certain lands (eg landscapes, lakesides and lowland diversity) and improved access to rivers, lakes and public lands - in some cases, there is a need to provide greater protection to certain types of high country land, to ensure outcomes consistent with the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy, and more generally (eg landscapes).
Performance measures
Delivery of policy advice within the timeframes set by the Minister or Cabinet.
1 In 2005 Molesworth became a recreation reserve administered by the Department of Conservation and farmed by Landcorp Farming Ltd, subject to a special lease under the Land Act.
