Historic Mesopotamia land protected for the future
Date: 07 April 2008
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
The tenure review of South Canterbury's historic Mesopotamia station has been finalised under a tenure review agreement announced today by Land Information Minister David Parker and Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick. The station is currently a Crown pastoral lease, and tenure review is a voluntary process.
Conservation land from the station's tenure review is pivotal to the proposed Two Thumb Conservation Park between the Rangitata River and Lake Tekapo. The park will adjoin the Hakatere Conservation Park which was opened last year.
"One highlight of this agreement is that an important 25 kilometre gap will be filled in the Te Araroa walking trail that is being established over the length of the country," David Parker said.
"Renowned author and farmer Samuel Butler established the station in 1860, and made its magnificent high country landscape famous in his novel Erewhon. More recently, it has been given international exposure by the Lord of the Rings films. This landscape will now be protected in perpetuity with open access to all."
Of Mesopotamia's 26,115 hectares, 20,863 hectares will become public conservation land. This area has high natural values, but is of low productivity and sensitive to grazing pressure. A further 5252 hectares of productive developed river flats and rolling country will be freeholded to the leaseholder, subject to covenants over 1487 hectares to protect biodiversity.
Steve Chadwick said major conservation gains have been achieved. "Areas being protected feature alpine screes and stonefields, herbfields, tall tussock grasslands, shrublands, beech forest and regionally rare upland tōtara. Threatened birds are present in the area, including blue duck/whio, New Zealand falcon/kārearea, kea, black-fronted tern/tara and the wrybill/ngutu parore.
"The new conservation land will also be greatly valued for its many recreational opportunities, including tramping, mountaineering, hunting, four wheel driving, horse-trekking, nature study and photography."
The pastoral lease over the property has been held by the Prouting family since 1945. "The family is passionate about this stunning area and we thank them for their stewardship of the land, which has spanned three generations," the Ministers said.