The Department of Conservation (DOC) is hoping to this year complete development of a new management plan for NZ’s largest farm, approximately the same size as Stewart Island, which began in 2017.
In 2005 management of the 181,000ha Marlborough property was handed to the DOC and its management status changed to a Recreation Reserve.
The DOC’s director of operations for the Northern South Island Roy Grose says this status allows for farming but also caters for conservation and recreation.
The process of updating that property’s management plan began in 2017, but delays mean it will not be completed until later this year at the earliest.
Part of that process was a public survey which attracted 4500 replies, and Grose says there was support for livestock farming to continue on the property.
“All indications are that farming is a key component of the Molesworth landscape and from my perspective it is highly unlikely some form of farming will not occur,” he said.
“There is certainly no intention for us to halt farming on Molesworth at this stage, but we do have to take into consideration all the different values that are there.”
The DOC’s lead management planner for the station’s review Viv Smith-Campbell says the process was complex because it was the first management plan for the property as a recreational reserve since its transition from a farm.
That meant determining the property’s ecological, historical and recreational values, but also talking to entities that have an interest in the land.
Landcorp (Pamu) who lease Molesworth, were also involved in that and last April it undertook a management plan to ensure farm policy works within the limits of the land and the restrictions of the seasons.
The plan sets out policy to discourage cattle from waterways, a weed and pest management programme, minimising fertiliser inputs, cultivation and the use of cropping, managing high risk areas, ensuring overgrazing does not occur and the ongoing monitoring and collection of data.
The report by AgFirst found that over the last two decades, stocking rates have fallen by 40%, phosphorus applications have halved, and are only applied to cropped areas now (80ha), total nitrogen loss has reduced by 9% on a per hectare basis and greenhouse gas emissions have dropped nearly 40%.
While the lease allows up to 10,000 cattle to be run, Pamu have put in place a self-imposed limit of 6000.
It is managed by four full-time and four part-time staff.
Primarily a pasture-based system, lucerne and rye corn is grown for supplementary feed.
Calving averages 91%, with calves weaned at six months and finished on two Hanmer farms leased by Pamu.
Stock losses at 1% are lower than the industry average of 2.1.
The AgFirst study found production per hectare for the last three years was 55.41kg/ha compared to the South Island high country average of 21.60kg/ha.
This result was despite production per stock unit being slightly lower at 15.25kg/su compared to 16.60kg/su.
The report found that financially Molesworth performed better than average South Island high country stations, despite higher weed and pest management costs.
Smith-Campbell says the process now is to formally announce a review of the Molesworth Recreation Reserve, make available all the information the DOC has collected and seek public comment and feedback.
It will consult the public and groups that have a direct interest in the property such as Pamu and Transpower and while not repeating the online survey, Smith-Campbell says DOC wants public views on the implications of climate change to the management of the station.
While the land’s status allows for the continuation of livestock farming, Smith-Campbell says its future will encompass other uses and values.
“As a recreational reserve, there must be provision for recreation but also protection of natural values,” she said.
“This process culminates a transition that has been happening since 2005, an arrangement that is going to allow it to be a farm and a recreational reserve.”
