In November 2019, Land Information New Zealand released a preliminary proposal for the tenure review of Glenaray Station (51,000ha) and of the adjacent Whitecomb run (11,000ha) at Piano Flat, Southland. More background information is available here. The preliminary proposal is open for public consultation; submissions close on Monday 27 January 2020.

FMC considers the land included in this tenure review proposal of high importance for the future of our Remarkables National Park campaign, and for the reclassification of Waikaia Forest as part of our Forgotten Lands campaign.

FMC therefore wrote a comprehensive submission on the proposal.

The main points in our submission are summarised below:

• We support the designation of areas identified to become public conservation land (CA1, CA2, CA3) and of the areas identified for freehold disposal unencumbered by covenants.
• We support the designation of some areas identified to become freehold with covenants (CC1, CC2a, CC2b).
• We recommend that the remaining areas proposed to become freehold with covenants (CC2c-f, CC3, CC4) be retained in crown ownership as public conservation land instead.
• We recommend that any grazing licences on public conservation land be limited to a period of 5 years max to enable the transition from farming to public conservation land.

FMC would like to encourage all interested clubs and individual supporters to also submit on the preliminary proposal.

Photo at top: Misty Tarn, Garvie Mountains. (c) Rob Brown