The Queenstown Lakes District Council's senior policy analyst Ralph Henderson told the council's strategy committee meeting this week the Government had changed its position on lake-side pastoral leases.
He said the previous government had been concerned about the cumulative impacts of tenure review, particularly on lake-side and significant landscapes.
"In many areas, development resulting from tenure review has been less focused on the productive use of the land for rural activities but subdivision and development in areas where this has not been anticipated or intended," he said.
In November 2007, the Government notified a change to the tenure review process and identified 65 properties, within 5km of and visible from a lake, to be excluded from tenure review.
The relevant lakes included Wakatipu, Wanaka and Hawea. Lake Hawea, Mt Burke, Mt Grand, Allandale/Greenvale, Loch Linnhe and Mt Creighton stations were affected.
Some lake-side properties in Queenstown Lakes District were affected by the policy but were not yet in the tenure review process, including Ben Lomond, Cecil Peak, Halfway Bay, Kingston, Mt Nicholas, Walter Peak, Minaret and Mt Albert.
The Government was now removing the restrictions on lake-side properties, Mr Henderson said.
"Consequently, a number of the lake-side properties that have been effectively on hold are now likely to continue progressing through the process," he said.
The Government had also indicated the acquisition of public land would be greatly reduced because of financial constraints on the Department of Conservation to maintain these areas.
"It has been suggested informally that an alternative that may still provide public benefit is the identification of discrete areas for protection where they can be managed by local authorities," he said.
He said he appealed to Land Information New Zealand to ensure sufficient public access was provided and biodiversity, heritage and outstanding natural landscape values were protected under the tenure review process with high country stations in the district.
Mr Henderson made a submission on behalf of QLDC on the tenure review proposal for the Mt Grand pastoral lease.
It said the council wanted to ensure indigenous biodiversity values were identified and managed appropriately, heritage values were recognised and provided for, outstanding natural landscapes, features and other significant visual amenities were protected.
He said the council supported moves to increase public access in the district through the creation of walking and cycling trails.
"In particular, the council wishes to ensure that freeholding land through this process will not act as an impediment to the creation of a wider network of trails in the district," the submission said.
"Council is increasingly of the opinion that the tenure review process should include ... a more detailed assessment of indigenous flora and fauna."
