Agreement Reached on Dingleburn and Woodbank Tenure Reviews
6 July 2005
Land Information New Zealand has successfully negotiated tenure reviews for a further two South Island high country leases.
Leaseholder acceptance of final proposals for Dingleburn (Otago) and Woodbank (Canterbury) will eventually deliver a total of 7590 hectares of freeholded land to leaseholder farmers, and 17,515 hectares to public conservation lands.
Public access to these areas is not available until surveying and issue of title is complete. This process is expected to take up to 18 months. Department of Conservation (DoC) signs will also need to be put in place before public access is available.
Under the Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998, Tenure Review delivers a balance of outcomes including freehold ownership, increased public access and public conservation land.
Dingleburn
At Dingleburn, which is located beside Lake Hawea in Otago, 16,694 hectares of land will be added to the Conservation Estate. The Dingleburn land being transferred adjoins the 49,000 hectare Ahuriri Conservation Park.
The Dingleburn tenure review is one of the most significant in Otago to date, in terms of protection of conservation and recreation outcomes. The outcomes also recognise the area's significant cultural value for Ngai Tahu; in particular, the Dingleburn Lagoon, historically a place used for food gathering, fishing, eeling, bulrush gathering, and weka hunting.
The land returned to full Crown ownership includes alpine, subalpine, montane and valley floor environments comprising high mountains, cushionfields, alpine herbfields, tussocklands, shrublands, beech forests and valley floors.
Much of this landscape is highly visible across Lake Hawea from the main tourist highway (State Highway 6) from Wanaka to the West Coast.
Of the 7000ha of land to be freeholded, some 2300ha will be covered by conservation covenants to protect shrublands and landscape values.
Public access to these new conservation lands will be available via the existing Timaru River Road around Lake Hawea and seven new public access easements. There will be new public access created from the peninsula to the mouth of the Dingleburn River. These easements will provide limited public vehicle access up Timaru River Road to a yet-to-be-built carpark. Foot and mountain bike access to Dingleburn will be possible from the carpark. Additionally, new marginal strips will be created over many waterways.
Woodbank
Woodbank Lease makes up part of Grantham Hills and is located 10 kms west of Hanmer Springs. This hilly property is situated on the Hanmer Range and is bounded in part by the Hanmer Forest Park and the Waiau River. Some 821ha of land will become public conservation land as part of the Tenure Review process.
The public conservation land contains remnant beech and kanuka forest, along with extensive fernland and shrubland. There are remnant patches of tall snow tussock grass above 900 metres. The successful negotiation of tenure review at Woodbank ensures that low altitude forests and shrublands are protected as well as Kanuka forest. Kanuka forest is relatively rare in the district.
Current Woodbank leaseholders Margot and Rob Hewitt, who will own 455 hectares of land freehold after title is issued, are happy with the outcome of their review.
"The agreement allows us to concentrate on the better areas of farm land. It's a good result for us."
Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) Manager, Crown Property Management, Paul Jackson says Tenure Review has delivered results for the two properties.
"Once the two reviews are implemented, leaseholder farmers who have never owned their land freehold get freehold title to part of it," he says. "This allows them to pursue their economic interests in the land, and improve productivity on it without the restraints of a pastoral lease."
Twenty properties have now finished Tenure Review under the Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998: Glenlapa; Stonehurst; Cairnhill; The Knobbies; Dome Hills I and II; Peak Hill; Dalrachney; Rhoboro Downs; Double Hill; Ben Avon; Alphaburn; Glen Nevis; Mt Pisa I and II; Quailburn; Clayton; Ben Ohau; Eastburn; and Waitiri.
Leaseholders of a further 17 properties have accepted final proposals for their leasehold land at Otamatapaio, Merrivale, Geordie Hills, Long Acre, Nine Mile, Shirlmar, Timburn, West Wanaka, Glen Dhu, Mataura Valley, Glenariffe, Glenfoyle, Silverbirch, Omahau Downs, Longslip, Dingleburn, and the Woodbank Special Lease.
For further information please contact:
Paul Jackson
Manager, Crown Property
Land Information New Zealand
Private Box 5501
WELLINGTON
PH: 04 460 0158
FAX: 04 460 0590
EMAIL: pjackson@linz.govt.nz
LINZ media liaison:
Tanya St George
Manager, Strategic Communications
Land Information New Zealand
Private Box 5501
WELLINGTON
PH: 04 498 3844
FAX: 04 472 1864
CELL: 027 287 9403
EMAIL: tstgeorge@linz.govt.nz
Department of Conservation
Mike Clare
Tenure Review Manager
Department of Conservation
Canterbury Conservancy
Private Bag 4715
Christchurch
PH: 03 371 3726
FAX: 03 365 1388
CELL: 027 4415 632
EMAIL: mclare@doc.govt.nz
Department of Conservation media liaison:
Tony Perrett
High Country Tenure Review Manager
PH: 03 474 6904
CELL: 027 4811 936
EMAIL: tperrett@doc.govt.nz
Leanne Scott / Sarah Mankelow
Community Relations Officer, media
Canterbury Conservancy
PH: 03 379 9758
CELL: 025 643 8881
Federated Farmers media liaison
Bob Douglas
Industry Manager South Island High Country Committee
Farming House
PO Box 665
Timaru
PH: 0800 327-646
FAX: 03 688-4096
HM TEL/FAX: 03 686-4762
MOBILE: 021 622 822
Email: southcanterbury.ff@fedfarm.org.nz
