High country conflict

Abstract

Between 1890 and 1989 the New Zealand government has actively intervened in private land use in the high country for public benefit. Pastoralism was, and still is, the principal land use. However, high country land now attracts more varied uses, including nature conservation. The government has always supported conservation and pastoralism as land uses in the high country because they have been seen as public benefits.

Early conservation policies supported pastoralism and therefore were accepted by runholders. Soil conservation policies were also accepted by runholders but nature conservation policies conflict with pastoral use. Hence, present government policies for land use now support competing interests. Attempts by government agencies to implement policies for nature conservation have been resisted by runholders. The land occupiers contend that their legal rights to the land are being compromised. This conflict has erupted because it is unclear whether the runholders or government own the land.