Government buys high country land for conservation

Another slice of high country land has been added to the conservation pie with the purchase of Tarnbrae Station in Canterbury.

Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick said Nature Heritage Fund bought Tarnbrae Station for $4.25 million. The 2044 hectare high country area included wetland and tussock and was in the Mackenzie Basin near Omarama in Canterbury.

The Department of Conservation would manage the land which would add to the adjacent 46,655ha Ahuriri Conservation Park.

"The (purchase) gives legal protection to one of the most intact wetland areas remaining in the Basin. It also safeguards an outstanding natural landscape," Ms Chadwick said.

The area contained several rare plants including the nationally threatened native lily (Iphigenia novae-zelandiae). It contained much of the remaining extensive areas of red tussock and associated wetlands still left unprotected in the Waitaki Valley.

"The purchase includes approximately 700 hectares of wetland and is one of the largest wetland areas protected in recent years anywhere in New Zealand," Ms Chadwick said.

"Wetlands are one of the Government's highest national priorities for biodiversity protection under the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy."

For years the Lory family had managed the Tarnbrae for conservation and Ms Chadwick congratulated them for their efforts and for allowing the land to go into public conservation ownership.

- NZPA