Landscape Protection
Tenure review outcomes are undermining the integrity of landscapes
"High Country landscapes are central to the vision we have of ourselves as New Zealanders and that tourists have of New Zealand" (David Parker, Minister for Land Information)
The Government’s June 2007 decision to withdraw from tenure review around 40 pastoral leases with significant lakeside, landscape and biodiversity values is a welcome initiative which belatedly recognises the failure to protect strategic lakeside landscapes through the tenure review process. Elsewhere, however, tenure review will continue.
The landscape protection achieved through tenure review is “top-heavy”, protecting mountain tops and high altitude scree slopes but very few basin and valley floors. Downlands, alluvial plains, fans, river terraces and lakesides are freeholded.
Important low altitude landscapes which the Crown has transferred, or proposes to transfer, as unencumbered freehold to lessees include:
- The river lands of Double Hill (Rakaia); Tenehaun, Mesopotamia (Rangitata); Sandy Point (Upper Clutha);
- The basin floor lands of Maryburn, Simons Hill and Killermont (Mackenzie Basin);
- The valley floors of Tenehaun (Rangitata); Ben Avon (Ahuriri); Braeside (Hawkdun Range); Glendhu (Lake Wanaka);
- The lake landscapes of Glen Dene (Lakes Wanaka and Hawea), Alphaburn ( Lake Wanaka); Richmond (Lake Tekapo).
Once freeholded, open expansive high country landscapes are being chopped up and fragmented through intensive land development for farming, or subdivision for viticulture, expensive holiday homes, lifestyle blocks, and resorts.
Some of New Zealand’s most distinctive, memorable and accessible landscapes, including the great open river valleys of the Rangitata, Rakaia and Ahuriri, the Mackenzie Basin and Otago’s Upper Manuherikia Valley, are now at significant risk of major landscape change through such development.
Most rural local authorities are ill-prepared to cope with the sudden increase in freehold lands in their districts. Large scale development on pastoral lease land was not contemplated when district and regional plans were prepared. Permissive landscape policies and rules in district plans mean the Resource Management Act provides few restrictions on new freehold owners.
In some districts (e.g. Central Otago) the situation is being made worse in that land transferred through tenure review is being exempt from the RMA with regard to native vegetation clearance .
Applications for discretionary consents (land intensification, soil disturbance, economic ventures other than grazing, tourism) are mostly just being ticked off by LINZ and DOC officials without any consideration given to landscape values.
We request
- Stop Tenure Review.
- Stop all discretionary consents.
- Full recognition of significant landscape values, and of the need to protect them.
- Effective strategies for ensuring the integrity of landscapes is protected.
- A pastoral lease management framework with whole property management plans.
- High country land management decisions that recognise and secure opportunities for future restoration of landscape values.