Southland Station Bought By Crown

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29778, 22 March 1962, Page 14

Southland Station Bought By Crown

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, March 21. The 39,000-acre Cairnaird station in Southland has been bought by the Government, the Minister of Lands (Mr Gerard) said today. The station will be taken over on April 3, under the Land Department’s highcountry rehabilitation scheme. Government proposals for its future management include reducing the number of sheep carried, running some cattle and a topdressing programme.

Cairnaird is one of the biggest blocks in Southland. It is a typical high-country run extending into the Eyre mountains, south-west of the southern end of Lake Wakatipu The property embraces the headwaters of the Mataura river.

Over the years the block had deteriorated through erosion, Mr Gerard said. The department felt that “de-stocking" was in the national interest. If erosion was permitted to continue,

there could be serious consequences for the Mataura basin. In April, 1961, when the block was offered for sale it carried 3200 ewes, 1000 Lambs and 400 other sheep. Mr Gerard said it had been the department's policy to avoid shutting up high country, and it had been proved that by good conservation and farming practice, land could be retained in production.

However, a Large part of Cairnaird was shady country, and the block had a history of stock losses caused by snowfalls and attack by keas. The department bought another large Southland, block, Eyre Creek, in March, 1961.