Farmer fears big bill for taxpayers in Molesworth

A gem of high-country rehabilitation will be at risk when Molesworth Station comes under Department of Conservation control, says a neighbouring farmer.

Prime Minister Helen Clark announced late last week that management of the 180,000ha Marlborough station would pass to DoC when the Landcorp lease expired in July 2005, although the Marlborough property would continue to be farmed.

The station would be "permanently protected" as a reserve under the Reserves Act.

Steve Satterthwaite, who farms neighbouring station The Muller, described it as "the wrong decision for the wrong reasons".

Access to the Molesworth had not been excluded until now as suggested by Helen Clark, he said.

He said the ramifications for Molesworth and taxpayers would be significant if the farm became uneconomical as a result of an influx of tourists.

"The taxpayer is going to have to fund the huge expense on weed and pest control which is sustained by the profit the Molesworth makes ... maybe they will make this a special case ... they will definitely have to.

"The travesty of this is, 60 years of present management has done what is the highlight to me of rehabilitation of high country and we are seeing all of this at risk of finishing, purely because it looks like this Government wants to make it a public playground. It defies logic," Mr Satterthwaite said.

Molesworth manager Jim Ward said the decision had been made and it was a matter of moving on.

"Too much has gone ahead of me to just think that it's going to be too difficult to administer.

"There's some very professional people that we deal with in conservation and we have got an awful lot of time for them and they are genuine in their approach, as are we. We are not fazed about having to deal with this."

He said if a lease was to be renegotiated it would need to be a long-term lease and it would have to be sustainable, which meant stock numbers at the current level or similar.

"Because at the end of the day, that is what pays the bills; that is what puts all the weed and pest money back in.

"I don't think we are going to see too much change. There is a lot of access now, people just did not realise it.

"We have what is called responsible access, we are not going to make restrictive access.

"For instance, this winter, this road was impassable for nine weeks and that is impassable to everyone, even a bulldozer would not have got through and in the summer you have got fire restrictions."

Helen Clark said the decision fitted well with objectives set for the high country.

"We are wishing to establish a network of high country farms and reserves and that is something I am personally passionate about," she said.

"This is a huge addition to the conservation estate and to that concept."

For many decades, the station had been "essentially off-limits to most Kiwis" and the needs of farming prevented the public having much access, Helen Clark said.

"I think over time you will see quite a bit more access opening up. There are other parts of the conservation estate where you don't run into a locked gate for a good part of the year but it will be very important that all New Zealanders are mindful of their responsibilities to this environment as well and also not to impede on what is a very successful farming operation."

The conservation, recreation and farming operations could work well together, she said.

The fire risk would have to be managed and people would need to be very aware of "their responsibility as citizens".

There would be no financial implications for the Government in the short term but as more high country areas were opened up for conservation and recreation then the budget for weed control would need to increase, Helen Clark said.

Conservation Minister Chris Carter said they wanted to be "good landlords".

He said DoC spent $160,000 last year on plant pests and feral goats in Molesworth and would be looking to synchronise with the pest work of the farm manager.

Home to wildlife

* Molesworth lies between Marlborough, Kaikoura and Hurunui tourism areas.

* Station spans an area the size of Stewart Island.

* It takes up to 2 hours to drive through.

* Molesworth is home to a number of endangered species, including 77 plants and lizards, and the New Zealand falcon.

- NZPA