History of tenure review
"Tenure review" began in 1991, in response to DOC interest in acquiring parts of Central Otago for its Protected Natural Areas programme. The affected leaseholders saw in DOC's approach the opportunity to make a deal - the leaseholders would gain freehold title to the more productive land in exchange for giving up other land for conservation.
From the farmers' point of view, freeholding would ease red tape, such as Crown consents needed for oversowing, top dressing, cropping, tree planting and other activities, and would allow farmers, if they wished, to switch from merino grazing into other activities.
After five initial trials of tenure review in Otago, the Commissioner of Crown Lands approved a process under the Land Act 1948, in which approval was required by DOC, and environment and recreation NGOs.
Between 1991 and 1998, tenure reviews were completed for 39 leases out of 206 in Otago and Southland. Of the 170,329 ha reviewed, 40 per cent were transferred into public conservation lands.
By 1998, there were 304 pastoral leases remaining in the South Island when the Crown Pastoral Land Act (CPLA) entered into force, placing tenure review, hitherto an ad hoc policy process, into a firm legislative frame.
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