Summer services update
Pastoral leases
Pastoral leases are the most common land use arrangement, and were created in the 1940s and 1950s under the Land Act 1948. They run for 33 years and can be continually renewed. We are not creating any new leases.
Pastoral leases give the person holding the lease – the lessee – exclusive possession of the land, and the right to graze the land. Lessees need permission to carry out other activities on their lease.
We review the rent paid for pastoral leases every 11 years, basing the rent on how much stock the land can carry for pastoral farming.
Find out more about rent review.
Find the areas of Crown land across the South Island that are leased for pastoral farming.
Exclusive possession of pastoral lease land
On 12 May 2009 the High Court issued a judgment on the right of pastoral leaseholders to exclusive possession of pastoral lease land, after a hearing conducted in Wellington on 26 March 2009. Read the judgment below.
Pastoral occupation licences
Pastoral occupation licences allow the licensee to use pastoral land for a fixed term, often to graze stock over summer months.
There is no automatic right to renew the licence when it expires. Remaining licences are subject to a compulsory review at the end of the licence period.
No new occupation licences are available.
Special leases
Special leases are created on pastoral land on a case-by-case basis. They are subject to a range of terms and conditions.
Afforestation on Crown land
Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand is working with Crown pastoral leaseholders to gauge their interest in planting trees on areas of their leases that are not suitable for farming and have low conservation value.
This work supports a Government initiative to explore partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land as part of efforts to help meet emission reduction targets.
More information:
18 December 2024: Government seeks interest in tree planting initiative on Crown-owned land | Toitū Te Whenua - Land Information New Zealand
Partnering to plant trees on Crown-owned land | MPI
Tenure review
We are continuing to manage a small number of tenure reviews on behalf of the Commissioner of Crown Lands.
Tenure review ended in 2022 when the Crown Pastoral Land Reform Act came into effect, except for those reviews at the substantive proposal put stage.
Tenure review was a voluntary process that gave lessees an opportunity to buy land capable of economic use, while land with conservation values was protected and restored to full Crown ownership as conservation land.
View the 2009 judgement relating to access rights of Crown pastoral land lessees.