To:  Hon Eugenie Sage
Date:  14 May 2018

Additions to Fiordland National Park

The Nature Heritage Fund purchased the blocks of land O’Brien, King and Wang (Johnstone)/Morgan in 1995, 2000 and 2001, respectively, with the intent to add them to Fiordland National Park.  Following a long delay, initial consultation with Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, by the Department in 2014 to fulfil Section 4 obligations, indicated a number of reservations about this land being added to the Park including unreasonably restricting what they could do on their ancestral land. 

In order to progress this long-standing matter and understand the local runaka concerns, Sandra Cook, the Authority’s Ngai Tahu representative, and I met with local Runaka in Invercargill last month to hear their views and discuss a way forward. We were able to come to an agreement as set out in the attached resolution which addresses their concerns whilst also fulfilling the original intention of the Nature Heritage Fund.

Accordingly, the Authority with this new information before them, resolved at its April 2018 meeting to recommend to you, the Minister of Conservation, that you recommend to the Governor-General that the land purchase blocks O’Brien, King and Wang (Johnstone)/Morgan be added to Fiordland National Park, pursuant to Section 7 of the National Parks Act 1980.

We noted too that it is very important that the Department ensures the related matters, which are consistent with both policy and best practice, are attended to.

Yours sincerely

Warren Parker
Chairperson, NZCA