Molesworth Station

The Government announced on the 18th December the transfer of Marlborough’s Molesworth Station from Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) to the Department of Conservation.

The 180,476ha Molesworth Station is a key area of high country owned by the Crown. While popularly known as New Zealand's largest farm, much of Molesworth's dryland landscapes have outstanding conservation values. The current pastoral farming regime, involving the grazing of up to 10,000 head of cattle, does not adequately protect these values.

Marlborough is a biodiversity hot spot with around 50 species of endemic flowering plants, 40 % of which are found on Molesworth. Twelve nationally rare plant species are found on Molesworth as well as a diverse lizard fauna.

A 1994 report for DoC's Protected Natural Areas programme recommended that 52,000 ha (30 %) of Molesworth be protected on ecological grounds. Extensive areas beyond this are also important for conservation and for their landscape and recreation values. The current management plan and the Molesworth Steering Committee - which oversees its implementation - have been ineffective in preventing stock access to these high value areas. Only 12 kms of new fencing for conservation purposes have been established in the last 10 years.

DoC already manages several other farm parks such as Puponga in Golden Bay and Te Paki and Mimiwhangata in Northland. As a farm park, Molesworth could become a model for sustainable farming in the dry-land environments of the eastern South Island.

This page was updated on 18 April, 2005