EDS & Forest and Bird join forces to challenge stewardship land decisions

EDS and Forest & Bird have jointly filed judicial review proceedings in the High Court seeking to overturn 99 of the Minister of Conservation’s decisions on the review of stewardship land on the West Coast of the South Island.

Stewardship land constitutes about 35% of the conservation estate on the West Coast. Much of it has significant landscape and ecological values and warrants a high protective status including national park.

EDS CEO Gary Taylor says this is a very significant challenge involving a great deal of research and analysis, hence the two societies joining forces.

“We can see the conservation estate coming under more development pressure over the next few years so getting the appropriate conservation status in place will help protect our most precious places, as well as identifying areas where the values are less significant.”