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Lords River Management Plan
Photo of Lords River at the falls 2007
The Lords River sections of Land within the Rakiura Maori Lands Trust are
subject to the implementation of a Management Plan that has been agreed to
between the Trust and the Department of Conservation. This came about as part of
the settlement with the Crown on agreeing to preserve this land into the future
as though it was a National Park. The following will provide you with more
information and progress on this plan.
The Tutae-Ka-WetoWeto Forest (Lords River) Bill.
No 68-1. Government Bill.
Hon Sandra Lee. 6 October 2000
Rakiura Mäori Land Trust is an
ahu whenua trust established under the Te Ture Whenua Mäori Act 1993 in respect
of some 31 sections of Mäori freehold land on Stewart Island which were provided
to Mäori individuals in the early 20th century under South Island Landless
Natives legislation.
The land has some 4000 owners
and contains over 3515 hectares of virgin indigenous timber, vegetation and
wildlife known as Tutae-Ka-Wetoweto forest. In October 1999, in exchange for
"valuable consideration" ($10.9 million, tax exempt), the owners signed a deed
of settlement and deed of covenant providing that they would continue to be
owners and kaitiaki of the forest, but that they would manage it essentially as
a national park and allow controlled public access. The conservation covenant
provides for a management plan to be prepared and for the land to be managed to
preserve the natural environment, wildlife, freshwater and historic values of
the land, and to provide public access (although the Trespass Act 1980 still
applies where any limitations on public access are breached). Rakiura will
continue to exercise their "Mäori customary rights" with respect to the
indigenous vegetation and land. No agricultural use will be made of the land for
livestock or crops and responsibility for weed, pest and fire control will
remain with the trust. The land will not be liable for rates, since it is in
effect a national park land. The covenant will be registered against the title
to the land under TTWM Act 1993 and will be deemed to be an interest in Mäori
land.
The Act will be administered by
the Department of Conservation under the Conservation Act 1987.
Commentary:
the government had originally intended to legislate to prevent these
ecologically valuable forests being milled, but settled on a negotiated
approach. This is the largest and most significant area of South Island Landless
Natives land under indigenous forest cover (Conservation Minister Nick Smith.
Media release July 1999).
Full details of the covenant
are contained with the
Tutae-Ka-Wetoweto Forest Act 2001 see the link at the bottom of this page to
access the Act.
Lords
River Sections
The following is a list of sections associated with the Lords River Blocks
involved in the Lords River Management plan. This listing is maintained by the Māori
Land Court Online service and the Trust has no control over the accuracy of this
information.
Summary of the Lords River Management Plan
Information is currently under development for this area.
The implementation of the Lords River Management Plan
Information is currently under development for this area.
The next implementation steps of the Lords River Management Plan
Information is currently under development for this area.
Useful Links
Link to
Tutae-Ka-Wetoweto Forest Act 2001
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Rakiura Maori Land Trust, Rakiura (Stewart Island) New Zealand.
