News
High Country Landscape Group
Posted 27 04 2023
in News
A great response from the Expression of Interest sent out earlier this month.
UPDATE FROM DI LUCAS 27 APRIL 2023
It was wonderful that so many members responded to the request to assist government with landscape assessments of lessees’ proposals for Pastoral Lease development activities, as the statutes require that inherent landscape values are maintained and enhanced. The NZILA High Country Landscape Group were thrilled with the response, and invited each of the Registered members interested to provide a brief bio of their experience in high country pastoral landscapes to demonstrate their degree of understanding pastoral management systems and language, the statutory framework, and high country geomorphology and ecosystems - especially tussock grassland, shrubland and low altitude drylands of the more gentle terrain. Also, it was recognised that having a colour vision deficiency might not be helpful in undertaking these landscape assessments.
From the feedback, a file of the 18 Registered landscape architects who sent their bios has been sent to LINZ, who are excited to get such a response. They have this week committed to improving their landscape advice and taking landscape seriously. A framework for assessing landscape values is being developed, and a discussion is imminent on making progress.
Many thanks to all those who showed interest, and so speedily! We look forward to seeing the action.
The 1.2 million hectares of high country lands within Marlborough, Canterbury, West Coast, Otago and Southland that are Crown Pastoral Leases are administered by LINZ. Lessees apply to LINZ under the Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998, and recently under the Crown Pastoral Land Reform Act 2022, to undertake developments such as earthworks, cultivation, plantings and construction. LINZ is required to assess discretionary consent applications with respect to various effects including how the proposal would maintain and enhance inherent landscape values.
In the past LINZ has relied upon the advice of the DOC who used to employ, and then engaged landscape architects from time to time, to provide landscape assessments of proposed activities, but that has ceased. This week it was agreed that LINZ should instead address the task directly. However LINZ currently have no landscape architects, yet there are at present hundreds of consent applications to process, and some should have landscape consideration.
From my role appointed to the High Country Advisory Group by the Minister of Lands, I have discussed the situation with colleagues and advised LINZ officials that they should have in-house landscape expertise to advise where landscape input is needed, and that LINZ should also contract landscape architects to undertake assessments of specific proposals. As well as LINZ policies, it’s useful that the NZILA guide, Te Tangi a te Manu, contributes guidance for such assessment.
I have today offered to LINZ that our NZILA High Country Landscape Group could provide a regional list of names of suitably experienced landscape architects that might be interested. We therefore ask that NZILA Registered landscape architects that are familiar with the high country and pastoral farming let our NZILA admin team know they are interested so that a list of individuals can be compiled for LINZ.
Kā mihi,
Di Lucas
NZILA Life member