Hakatere Conservation Park expands

Hakatere Conservation Park will grow by 17,000 hectares with the addition of land from the Mt Potts and Redcliffe high country pastoral leases, Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick announced today.

“These two additions to the Park will provide outstanding recreational opportunities for walkers, trampers, hunters, climbers and skiers,” said Steve Chadwick.

The new conservation land is the result of tenure review negotiations with Land Information New Zealand (LINZ). The additions will fill gaps on opposite sides of the Park, and the Department of Conservation (DOC) will improve access to these areas with signage and track development.

“The rugged Potts Range is a key element in the distinctive upper Rangitata landscape, made world-famous as the backdrop to ‘Edoras’ in the Lord of the Rings films.

“This area is becoming increasingly popular as a tourism destination, and there will now be guaranteed public walking access over Mt Sunday, where Edoras was located.”

Mt Potts Station is an impressive property in the upper Rangitata River, across the river from Mesopotamia Station. The Mt Potts tenure review will result in 9266 hectares becoming public conservation land, and 1196 hectares being freeholded.

Redcliffe Station, on the south bank of the Rakaia River, will contribute 7809 hectares to public conservation land, and 1383 hectares will be freeholded.

“The new Redcliffe conservation land will protect significant landscape values on the Mt Hutt Range, and include mountain tops, extensive scree slopes, alpine vegetation, tussock grassland and shrublands.”

“Current farming activity on Mt Potts and Redcliffe is focused on areas being freeholded, and the tenure review outcomes will provide a secure basis for the former lessees to develop and diversify their economic future. I thank them for their past stewardship of the properties.”