Local farmer and former president of the high country committee of Federated Farmers Simon Williamson says locals were not consulted about the creation of Tū Te Rakiwhānoa Drylands.
Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced the park, which is a collection of five separate areas bought from private landholders or acquired through tenure review of pastoral leases.
Of the 11,800ha, 1800ha has been bought by the Nature Heritage Fund from Ohau Downs Station, 3100ha following tenure review of the Simons Pass Station pastoral lease (representing 56% of the original lease) and 1600ha from Twin Peaks Station following tenure review.
The rest consists of 4100ha of the Tasman Riverbed and covenanted land.
In addition, the NZ Defense Force has agreed to management changes of its 15,000ha Tekapo Military Training Area to ensure the protection of landscape and biodiversity values, such as controlling wilding conifers and pests.
The region has become a heated battle ground between farmers and environmentalists following the introduction of irrigation, allowing farms to convert to dairying, transforming the traditional low-lying, dryland landscape.
Williamson says the creation of the park will not ease tightening controls on what landowners can do as the Mackenzie District Council has imposed strict restrictions on land use.
For example, to oversow or fence the area burnt by fire last week requires resource consent and Williamson fears that means it will be left to be infested by wilding conifers and other weeds.
Williamson says the Government could have achieved a similar outcome at lower cost by working with landowners who have an interest and desire in managing and caring for the land.
Williamson says the Department of Conservation is already struggling to manage the land it controls; some of the new land it has acquired is heavily infested with wilding conifers.
The Environmental Defense Society welcomes the initiative but would have liked more land added, including having the entire 5600ha Simons Pass Station retired from farming to conservation.
Sage, who is minister of both conservation and land information, says it is too early to release costs for the land purchases.
Agreements are in place for the sale and purchase by the Nature Heritage Fund of part of Ohau Downs and the transfer of lands from Simons Pass and Twin Peaks tenure reviews.
“The Nature Heritage Fund purchase has been agreed, the settlement process can take time and financial details are not disclosed until settlement is completed, which is anticipated to occur within the next few months,” she said in a statement.
Surveying and fencing of new boundaries are also required.
