New Zealand Executive Government News Release Archive

The Conservation Minister, Denis Marshall, and Waitutu Incorporation Chairman, John Southerwood, today signed a Deed of Settlement for an historic agreement between the Crown and the Incorporation. This agreement removes forever the threat of clearfelling the pristine virgin podocarp Waitutu block in Southland.

Once described by the Royal NZ Forest and Bird Protection Society as the ultimate forest, this Government entered into negotiations over 2 years ago with the goal of protecting the conservation values of the forest in perpetuity.

The settlement involves assigning to the Waitutu Incorporation the cutting rights for 11,582 ha of Crown owned beech forest in Western Southland currently managed for production by the New Zealand Forestry Corporation, as well as a cash component of $13.55 million to be paid over a number of years.

606ha of the Rowallen and Longwood Forests is subject to existing conservation covenants and will be transferred to the Department of Conservation. This will be in addition to the 23,000 ha of indigenous forest in these blocks allocated to the Department of Conservation in 1987.

The underlying land will remain in Crown ownership.

In return for this package the Crown has obtained the cutting rights to Waitutu block, and has the Incorporations agreement to protect in perpetuity the forests conservation values by enabling the Crown to manage the land as if it were a National Park. Ownership of the land will remain with the Incorporation.

The Government will seek agreement from Parliament to support special legislation that will enshrine this agreement forever.

Further details of the settlement will be revealed at the Annual General Meeting of the Waitutu Incorporation held to be held in Christchurch on 9 March 1996.

Media inquiries Iain MacLean Press Secretary Ph (04)471-9131 (wk) / (04)239-9237 (hm) (026)355-9560 (pager)

WAITUTU SETTLEMENT BACKGROUND

WHERE IS IT?

The Waitutu Incorporation's land is situated in one of the less-well-known corners of New Zealand in south western Southland on the South Coast to the west of Te Waewae Bay.

It is bounded to the north by Waitutu Forest (45,000 ha) conservation area and to the east by the West Rowallan Maori land (1830 ha).

It is 32 km from the nearest road end at Blue Cliffs. The nearest township is Tuatapere.

Waitutu Incorporation Land.

2,171 hectares is held and administered by Waitutu Incorporation

The land is held under Maori freehold title, having been granted in 1906 as compensation lands.

The block has about 800 owners.

There are two further freehold sections totalling 250 ha within the original Waitutu grant.

The adjoining West Rowallan land totals 1,830 ha and were 80% logged in 1920's-1930's by Port Craig Sawmilling Co.

While not ancestral land, there is evidence of early Maori occupation and the long association has resulted in strong feelings towards the land under current ownership.

Protect Waitutu!

All the Waitutu block coastal Maori lands and the Waitutu Conservation Stewardship lands are considered very much integral parts of one another.

In early/mid 1970's the then New Zealand Forest Service proposed the Southland Beech Management Scheme. The Waitutu State Forest area was part of that scheme and aroused much public controversy.

In about 1972 the then Nature Conservation Council was successful in having the Waitutu State Forest removed from the scheme (albeit for further evaluation).

Later there were public calls and a major NGO campaign to add Waitutu State Forest to Fiordland National Park, resulting in the former National Parks and Reserves Authority formally making a recommendation to the Government to add the State Forest to the Park after following the National Parks Act procedures.

Some 1,200 public submissions were received on this Park addition.

1987 saw Waitutu State Forest allocated to DOC as a stewardship area with its long term protection assured.

Waitutu Incorporation Land Protection Proposals.

In 1976 Feltex (NZ) Ltd, as the owners of Lindsay and Dixon Ltd, commenced negotiations to secure long term cutting rights over Waitutu block.

The NCC and former Department of Lands and Survey sought to negotiate and met with Mrs Koa Murdoch, the then Chair of the Waitutu Incorporation, with a view to protection of the Incorporation's land.

This negotiation did not succeed and the Feltex/Waitutu deal was confirmed.

A roading consent to establish a road through NZFS/DOC lands was granted in the late '80s.

In 1989 the Crown again sought to negotiate with Waitutu Incorporation. The initial proposal involved swapping the 5,000 ha Rowallan Forest administered and allocated to DOC. That exchange was rejected by the then Minister.

There was good co-operation from both parties and the negotiation proceeded on the basis of a cash/annual annuity. The negotiations eventually failed.

In December 1993 Lindsay and Dixon and Waitutu Incorporation announced a new deal to log Waitutu. The contract provided for possible Crown intervention and proposed an exchange for sustainable managed forests held by the New Zealand Forestry Corporation and DOC.

Ministers directed that protection be sought by negotiation. George McMillan was appointed as Crown Negotiator.

Negotiations followed over the next two years.

Forest Values.

The Waitutu forest tract, including the land owned by the Incorporation, is a lowland wilderness featuring a dramatic marine terrace sequence, supporting a range of ecosystems, from extensive areas of dense, tall podocarp and beech - podocarp forests on the younger lowland terraces, with a rich birdlife (including the largest known population of South Island kaka) through stunted forests to open bog - shrubland on older terraces.

The marine terrace sequence is of great scientific interest, recording successive uplift over 1 million years.

Very few lowland forests are left on New Zealands coastline

The Waitutu coastline is unmodified, so it is of special significance

The Incorporation's land is of critical significance to the conservation values and integrity of the Waitutu tract.

The forest has major scenic and recreational values.

It is a tall forest and outstanding birdlife (yellow heads, rifleman, kaka, parakeets, New Zealand falcon, bell birds).

Settlement.

The Crown secures a covenant in perpetuity, i.e. cutting rights, ensuring the Crown's ability to manage the 2,171 ha Waitutu Incorporation block as if it were a National Park.

Public access rights are secure

The Incorporation will hold the title to the land and be able to build their own lodge on a small area. Sea/helicopter access is assured for the owners, along with hunting rights. The settlement involves cash of $13.55 million and an exchange of cutting rights to the former New Zealand Forestry Corporation indigenous production forests in Longwoods, Rowallan and Woodlaw Forests. The total area is 11,582 ha.

Waitutu Incorporation will manage those cutting rights within a sustainable management framework under the Forests Act.

All conservation covenanted areas within the NZFC lands will be transferred to the Department of Conservation.

The deal will not affect the wider Ngai Tahu claim

The Waitutu Incorporation will also withdraw its part in WAI 158 and WAI 89 as amalgamated with WAI 27, two ancillary claims before the Waitangi Tribunal.