LINZ appoints High Country Advisory Group members

Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) today announced the new members of its High Country Advisory Group.

LINZ sought expressions of interest from a wide range of stakeholders earlier this year, after previous members reached the end of their two-year term.

LINZ Chief Executive Gaye Searancke says LINZ received strong interest and is pleased to announce Jim Greenslade, Tom Pinckney, Kerry Harmer, Donna Field, Ray Grubb, Cordelia Woodhouse and Professor Bill Lee are appointed as new members of the group.

Three previous members – Jonathan Wallis, Di Lucas and Jen Miller – were reappointed to provide continuity and share their knowledge of the group’s work programme. 

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu also holds a permanent position on the group, and its representative for the current term is Matthew Matahaere.

“It’s important for us to hear a range of perspectives as we work to understand, develop and care for the iconic high country,” says Ms Searancke.

The new group will have its first meeting later this month.

LINZ established the group in 2018 to improve transparency and receive advice directly from a range of farming, environmental, iwi and other experts on its management of 1.2 million hectares of Crown pastoral land in the South Island high country.

Additional background information on the members

New members:

Jim Greenslade is the leaseholder of The Lakes Station in North Canterbury. He has broad on-farm experience, from mustering through to farm management. He has previously worked as a livestock broker and auctioneer.

Tom Pinckney is the part owner of Northburn Station in Central Otago, which includes the Leaning Rock pastoral lease. He has a wide range of experience in high country farming, viticulture, and tourism. His property produces wool for Icebreaker and Allbirds, and has a winemaking operation.

Kerry Harmer farms Castleridge Station in the Ashburton Gorge. She is a member of Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Farmer Council and involved in their Environment Reference Group. She has also represented the Mid-Canterbury and high country branches of Federated Farmers.

Donna Field farms a sheep and beef farm Cleardale Station in inland Canterbury and is a land management and biodiversity advisor with Environment Canterbury (ECan).

Ray Grubb is the New Zealand Fish & Game Council Chair. He manages relationships between high country pastoral lessees and recreationalists. He also has experience in the public sector and in tourism management.

Cordelia Woodhouse is a solicitor for the Environmental Defence Society. She specialises in resource management, and has experience in tenure review, science, landscape management and the Land Act. She is a member of the Government’s expert Biodiversity Collaborative Group and Biodiversity Strategy Group.

Professor Bill Lee is an ecologist based in Otago, specialising in indigenous vegetation management in the high country. He also has experience assessing biodiversity outcomes of tenure review and the development of biodiversity indicators.

Returning members:

Di Lucas is a landscape architect and environmental planner, who comes from a farming background growing up on Bendigo Station in Central Otago. In 2019 she was awarded the Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for her services to conservation.

Jonathan Wallis is the leaseholder of Minaret Station in Wanaka. His family runs a luxury alpine lodge on the station, as well as farming. Jonathan is an active advocate for pastoral farming and was the previous Chair of the High Country Accord.

Jen Miller is the Group Manager Conservation Advocacy and Communications for Forest & Bird. She is also a member of the Government’s Biodiversity Collaborative Group.