High country farmers have been promoting the advantages of grazing, in conjunction with conservation, on retired pastoral land.
Four advantages for returning stock - economic, weed suppression, reduced fire risk and disease monitoring - were recently outlined to Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson and Biosecurity Minister David Carter.
The response from the ministers and officials was encouraging, Federated Farmers high country chairman Graham Reed told last week's high country conference in Christchurch.
"Subject to [the] Department of Conservation investigating carbon sequestration opportunities and some concerns about grazing wetlands, we were in agreement that there are win-win opportunities. Doc indicated that it will look at any lease proposal on a case by case basis."
He believed weeds would become the major problem on retired land.
"I cannot see a government department ever having the single-minded, long-term determination required to keep weeds out."
Mr Reed said there had been more progress in the past 12 months on a variety of issues affecting high country farmers than had been evident for many years.
Work still needed on some matters, including the Ministry for the Environment's proposed national policy statement on indigenous biodiversity.
While no-one would argue about protecting native biodiversity, some of the content in the proposal was "alarming" for hill and high country farmers.
"This is potentially the biggest threat we face, particularly in the higher rainfall areas," he said.
The document had the potential to become a major tool for council planners to actively discourage indigenous vegetation clearance.
"The right to remove regrowth shrub is essential for pastoral farming on many of our farms. Without it, we lose most of our grazing within a generation or so."
It was perplexing the Crown was specifically exempt from its provisions, which seemed very much like a case of "do as I say" rather than "follow my example", Mr Reed said.
A submission had been made suggesting the authors look for some sensible solutions.