Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) has announced in a press release that around 18,000 hectares will be added to conservation land in the Mackenzie Basin after tenure review agreements were reached for The Grampians and Godley Peaks pastoral leases. The preliminary proposals for both tenure reviews were published in 2015. Both tenure reviews have been followed closely by FMC throughout the process.
Godley Peaks
Godley Peaks pastoral lease is located on the true right of the Godley River at the head of Lake Tekapo. The 14,493ha, approximately 33km-long station ranges from around 720m elevation at the lake’s shore to 2,430m elevation at Mt Radove. Its northern end is just 10km from the main divide. It is primarily steep and mountainous country, and the glacial Godley Valley, forming most of the eastern boundary, is a notable feature. The property’s natural values are relatively intact and the farming operation has been well-managed, with low plant and animal pest numbers.
All documents relating to the tenure review of Godley Peaks are available on the LINZ website here.
FMC submitted on the preliminary proposal of the tenure review in December 2015. You can read our submission here.
FMC is pleased with the outcome of this tenure review, since we obtained most of the changes to the preliminary proposal we asked for. Conservation Area CA1 is larger than initially proposed, and access up the Godley and Cass Rivers is provided for.
A map showing the substantive proposal’s designation plan is on the left. Click on the map to download a high resolution .pdf file.
The Grampians
The Grampians pastoral lease covers a tract of high country south of Tekapo and west of the Hakataramea Pass Road. This 16,057ha property, covering around 1,400m of altitudinal range, encompasses a range of farming and natural features and includes hydro-electric transmission infrastructure. While many natural components are modified or degraded, significant portions of the lease are intact.
All documents relating to the tenure review of The Grampians pastoral lease are available on the LINZ website here.
FMC submitted on the preliminary proposal of the tenure review in May 2015. You can read our submission here.
The outcome of this tenure review appears to be a mixed bag. On one hand, recreation is well served, with public access to Black Rocks and the high tops of the Grampians Range. On the other hand, unencumbered freehold redesignation of large tracts of pristine country risk seeing this last relatively intact part of the MacKenzie Country intensified.
A map showing the substantive proposal’s designation plan is on the left. Click on the map to download a high resolution .pdf file.
The lease disposals haven’t happened yet; recreationists will have to wait until they’ve been effected before we can have free access to the newly designated Conservation Areas. It could be around three years before disposal occurs.
Photo at top: Godley Peaks Station across the Godley River from the Two Thumb Range. (c) Danilo Hegg
