Fancy a slice of the South Island?

21 September 2006 - Wellington

Contact: Forest & Bird Advocacy Manager Kevin Hackwell, 04 801 2215, 021 227 8420

Forest & Bird is calling for a moratorium on tenure review – a process which is paying people to take hundreds of thousands of hectares of State-owned land in the South Island high country.

Tenure review is a process of land reform administered by Land Information New Zealand in which pastoral leaseholders are given private ownership of parts of high country leasehold properties, while other parts are protected as conservation land.

Today Forest & Bird is holding a special event in Wellington to announce its call for a moratorium, and highlight its concerns that the balance of tenure review has tipped too far in favour of farmers who are gaining private ownership of the land, while conservation is being short-changed.

To raise public awareness of this important conservation issue, Forest & Bird will be “paying” pedestrians millions of dollars outside LINZ offices on Lambton Quay to take slices of a giant South Island-shaped cake from noon on Thursday, September 21.

We will also be inviting Land Information Minister David Parker and LINZ Chief Executive Brendan Boyle to come and meet us and accept a slice of the South Island.   Media are also invited to this event.

Forest & Bird Advocacy Manager Kevin Hackwell says tenure review is failing to protect many of the high country’s most threatened and unique ecosystems, landscapes and plant and animal life.

Once former pastoral leases are in private ownership, there are few controls on widespread development – such as subdivision of lakefront land - which would change the face and character of our high country forever.

Much more (60%) of high country leases that have so far gone through tenure review has gone into private ownership, while just 40% has been protected as conservation land – well short of the promised 50-50 split.  The Government has also paid former leaseholders millions of dollars in “equalisation payments” in tenure review deals.

Forest & Bird also fears tenure review is restricting public recreational access to the high country.

“Ten years after tenure review began, we believe it is time to pause for a ‘stocktake’ of what the process has delivered so far, and make any necessary adjustments before tenure review goes any further,” Kevin Hackwell says.

“A moratorium would allow scientific, conservation, recreation and community groups to have their say, and provide the opportunity for the Government to make a considered examination of whether tenure review is delivering a fair result that protects everyone’s interests.

“We have just one chance to get this right – once these lands are privatised, future generations will never have another opportunity to get them back for conservation, recreation and the enjoyment of all New Zealanders.”

For more information see Tenure Review - What's it all about? (PDF)