Concerns over rushed process and conflict of interest in stewardship land review
Environmentalists want the more than 2 million hectares of stewardship land up for review to go into the conservation estate, but others say it’s not all valuable land and parts should be opened up for development.
Stewardship land was allocated to the Department of Conservation (DOC) when it was formed in 1987. About 30 per cent of conservation land, or 2.5 million hectares, is stewardship land, accounting for one-ninth of all New Zealand land – and one third of the West Coast.
The Government announced it would start reclassifying the land on the West Coast and across the top of the South Island. Some land would remain in the DOC estate, but some land with low conservation values could be sold off to private interests.
Federated Mountain Clubs (FMC) and Forest & Bird say most, if not all, of the land should remain under DOC management and the small sections of low value should be rehabilitated to help tackle climate change and the biodiversity crisis.
Buller mayor Jamie Cleine said he totally disagreed that all stewardship land held high conservation values.
“It is clearly not. Large parts of it are really only regenerating scrub land. Parts of Buller’s stewardship land may be beneficial to be freed up.”
Allowing land to be developed would also mean more rates for the council and potentially more jobs for West Coasters, he said.
Read the full story here.
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.5% Yes
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46.5% No
A riddle to start the festive season 🌲🎁🌟
I'm a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I'm a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I'm an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I'm a form of music. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
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