Government to change how iconic high country land is managed

Land Information Minister Eugenie Sage has announced the consultation process for how iconic high country land will be managed in the future.

Tenure review is a voluntary process where Crown pastoral land can be sold to a leaseholder and areas with high ecological and recreational value can be returned to full Crown ownership as conservation land.

“Tenure review has seen some land protected but also large swathes, 353,000 ha, have been privatised and large areas intensively farmed or subdivided,” Eugenie Sage said.

“Ending tenure review and changing the regulatory system for high country pastoral leases is about thinking long term and the Crown working with leaseholders to achieve sustainable land and water management.”

The discussion document entitled “Enduring stewardship of Crown pastoral land” outlines proposed changes and seeks public comment.

Consultation will be open for eight weeks until Friday 12 April 2019.