Leases and licences on Crown pastoral land

This section explains the 3 ways farmers can use Crown pastoral land: pastoral leases, pastoral occupation licences, and special leases.

Pastoral leases

Pastoral leases are the most common land use arrangement, and were created in the 1940s and 1950s under the Land Act 1948. They run for 33 years and can be continually renewed. We are not creating any new leases.

Pastoral leases give the person holding the lease – the lessee – exclusive possession of the land, and the right to graze the land. Lessees need permission to carry out other activities on their lease.

We review the rent paid for pastoral leases every 11 years, basing the rent on how much stock the land can carry for pastoral farming.

Find out more about rent review.

Exclusive possession of pastoral lease land

On 12 May 2009 the High Court issued a judgment on the right of pastoral leaseholders to exclusive possession of pastoral lease land, after a hearing conducted in Wellington on 26 March 2009. Read the judgment below.

Pastoral occupation licences

Pastoral occupation licences allow the licensee to use pastoral land for a fixed term, often to graze stock over summer months.

There is no automatic right to renew the licence when it expires. Remaining licences are subject to a compulsory review at the end of the licence period.

No new occupation licences are available.  

Special leases

Special leases are created on pastoral land on a case-by-case basis. They are subject to a range of terms and conditions.

Tenure review

We are continuing to manage a small number of tenure reviews on behalf of the Commissioner of Crown Lands.

Tenure review ended in 2022 when the Crown Pastoral Land Reform Act came into effect, except for those reviews at the substantive proposal put stage.

Tenure review was a voluntary process that gave lessees an opportunity to buy land capable of economic use, while land with conservation values was protected and restored to full Crown ownership as conservation land. 

View the 2009 judgement relating to access rights of Crown pastoral land lessees.