Richmond tenure review proposal accepted

10 August 2006

The lessee of Richmond Station, in the Mackenzie Country, has accepted the substantive proposal for tenure review, adding more than 3,700 hectares to public conservation lands and providing new public access to Lake Tekapo and nearby mountain areas.

"The leaseholder's acceptance of the substantive proposal adds 3,743 hectares to public conservation lands, while 5,824 hectares will become freehold," says Land Information New Zealand's Tenure Review Programme Manager Mathew Clark.

"The mountainous views from Lake Tekapo have been secured as public conservation land. Much of the lower land, which is more developed, has been freeholded to the leaseholder and two areas provide public access across about four kilometres of lakeshore."

Trampers, mountainbikers and other recreational users will also benefit from three new public access routes to the mountains, Mr Clark added.

The next steps of the Richmond review will include fencing the boundaries, surveying the land, transferring the conservation areas to the Department of Conservation (DOC) and the freehold title will be raised, Mr Clark said.

The review is a 'good result' for conservation, says DOC's Canterbury Area Conservator Mike Cuddihy. "We believe the Richmond review has achieved good results for conservation, ensuring the protection of a full spectrum of ecological values."

Key conservation areas within the review include the Coal River boulder field outwash, which provides habitat for protected species such as the banded dotterel, black fronted tern, pied stilt and black stilt, as well as species of rare grasshopper.

"In another area we are protecting some lakeside scree faces which are home to some unusual lizard species. A small wetland area, also being protected, provides an important link in the chain of wetlands in the area, as the feeding and nesting habitat for migratory bird life including the white-faced heron, Australasian shoveler, black shag and marsh crake. Mid altitude shrubland will be protected, as well as a greater area of tall tussock," Mr Cuddihy said.

Tenure Review is a voluntary process under the Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998 that enables farmers with perpetual leases on high country Crown pastoral land to seek freehold ownership of some of the leasehold land. The process also enables land with "significant inherent values" to be protected, through restoring the land to full Crown ownership to be managed by the Department of Conservation. Tenure Review also improves high country public access and recreation.

Links:

• Summary of Substantive Proposal (final outcome) - (pdf 62KB)
• Substantive Proposal Designation Plan (pdf 1.5MB)

For further information:

Tanya St George, Manager, Strategic Communications tel 027 287 9403 or Beth Collier, Communications Advisor, tel 027 278 3968.