Kate Scott of Rees Valley Station and Kate Cocks of Mt Nicholas Station speak at the Environmental Defence Conference about farming the high country. Farmers in the Canterbury high country have developed an area the size of Rarotonga in just 20 years, a new report shows. Environment Canterbury’s report into agricultural land use change in the Mid-Canterbury hill and high country showed 6800 hectares was converted into pasture between 1990 and 2019. Grove said intensification in the high country was ongoing and the study suggested a more co-ordinated approach between management agencies was required. He believed it was critical to work out who had the power to stop the clearance of habitat on high country farms.

Source: Stuff August 06, 2021 05:48 UTC