The Department of Conservation (DoC) has reversed a decision last year to renew a concession held by South Westland farmer John Cowan for 35 years who sought a renewal of the licence to graze 60 cows and 50 calves on 736ha for six months.
Westland Mayor Bruce Smith says removing grazing pressure will allow weeds to infiltrate, creating obstacles for flood waters, which will cause more environmental damage than cattle.
DoC South Westland operation’s manager Wayne Costello says it already actively manages the area and will continue to do so, and he does not anticipate any issues with weeds and river blockages or flooding.
“DoC has maintained a programme of weed control in the valleys above this land and there are very low levels of gorse and other weeds, both on the block and in the general area,” Costello said.
“We expect that our current work programme of weed control in the wider area will be expanded slightly to include this land and will successfully maintain low weed numbers there.”
Last year’s decision to approve Cowans’ application came with fencing conditions to keep stock out of the Mt Aspiring National Park, an adjacent conservation area and pockets of native vegetation.
Cowan subsequently asked for some of those requirements to be reconsidered, saying they were impractical, raised animal welfare issues and were economically unviable.
In his decision, DoC director general Lou Sanson says advice revealed that alternatives to fencing were impractical, making containment of stock “difficult and probably impossible”.
“As there are no means in your case to contain stock within the licence area, the licence which was granted on the basis that such containment was possible, is of no effect,” Sanson said.
He says in a statement that DoC tried to find a workable solution but without fencing it, made grazing inconsistent with the Conservation Act and other statutory planning documents it must abide by.
In a letter to Cowan, Sanson noted he has two other licences in the Haast Valley that are farmed alongside land he owns, with DoC considering an application to renew one.
“I am confident that each application will be assessed in accordance with the information you provide in support of the application together with the legislation and relevant planning instruments and reports, and my decision in no way sets a precedent for other South Westland grazing licences,” he said.
