OIAD-3554
5 December 2023
Kevin Middleton
[FYI request #24699 email]
Tēnā koe Kevin
Thank you for your request to the Department of Conservation, received on 9 November 2023,
in which you asked for:
Please supply me with any/all information in relation to the leasing of Motutapu Island
farm.
Please also send me any information on DOC requirements to work on the island.
We have considered your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA).
On 20 November 2023, you amended your request to:
Seeking lease documents currently in place for the Motutapu Island farm only for part
one of your request.
For part two of your request, you are seeking an explanation on the process and/or the
relevant application forms for obtaining a lease to graze/farm on Motutapu Island. In
addition, you are seeking an explanation on the process and/or the relevant application
forms to undertake other concession activity on Motutapu Island.
Context
As context for my response, in 2019 the Department undertook a Request for Proposals
process to seek proposals for any party that was interested in the farming opportunity on
Motutapu island. Three proposals were received, and after consideration the opportunity to
apply for a grazing concession for pasture management of Motutapu Island was offered to Te
Haerenga o Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki Limited (Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki). Some brief information about this
can be viewed on our website (s
ee https://www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/have-your-say/all-
consultations/2019/applications/motutapu-island-grazing-concession/).
Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai
DOC-7497629
Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland Office
Private Bag 68908, Wellesley St., Auckland 1141
www.doc.govt.nz
Page 1 of 3
We entered into a management agreement with Te Haerenga o Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki Limited as
an interim arrangement for managing the grazing as there are a number of significant farm
infrastructure issues on the island that need to be resolved before they wish to formally apply
for the grazing concession. The agreement has been in place since 1 January 2020, and was
updated on 30 June 2022. It is due to expire on 30 June 2027, although we hope that the
infrastructure issues wil be resolved well before then.
I have set out this as context because it explains why there wil be no opportunity for any other
party to apply to undertake grazing on the island for the foreseeable future.
Responses
Your questions and our responses are listed below:
1.
Lease documents currently in place for the Motutapu Island farm
I have located the current Motutapu Farm Management Agreement between the Department
and Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki. This document is listed in the table below and accompanies my
response as Attachment 1 (Item 1).
Item
Date
Document description
Decision
1
30/06/2022 Management Agreement
Released in part
2.
For part two of your request, you are seeking an explanation on the process and/or the
relevant application forms for obtaining a lease to graze/farm on Motutapu Island. In
addition, you are seeking an explanation on the process and/or the relevant application
forms to undertake other concession activity on Motutapu Island.
As I explained above, there wil not be an opportunity to apply to undertake grazing activities
on Motutapu for the foreseeable future. If circumstances did change however, then it is likely
we would again seek expressions of interest through a competitive process, which would be
advertised on our website. The successful bidder would then need to apply for a grazing
concession. General application forms for a grazing concession can be accessed on the
Department’s website
at: https://www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/apply-for-permits/business-or-
activity/grazing/.
The application process involves information gathering, analysis, and consultation with
iwi/hapū/whānau. Pre-application meetings are recommended. Processing times vary based
on complexity, type, and the requirements for engagement with iwi. Fees are charged for
processing applications, with costs varying depending on the activity and whether public
notification is required. Ongoing fees may apply, such as annual management fees and
monitoring fees, outlined before permission issuance.
Page 2 of 3
More detailed information can be viewed on our website at the following link:
https://www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/apply-for-permits/. The ‘Permissions’ section of the
website provides links to application forms, including the grazing concession application form
provided above.
Advisories
I have decided to release the relevant parts of the document listed above, subject to
information being withheld under the following sections of the OIA, as applicable:
• personal contact details of officials, under section 9(2)(a) – to protect the privacy of
natural persons, including deceased people.
• commercially sensitive information, under section 9(2)(b)(i ) – to protect the
commercial position of the person who supplied the information, or who is the subject
of the information.
In making my decision, I have considered the public interest considerations in section 9(1) of
the OIA and determined there are no public interests that outweigh the grounds for withholding.
Please note that this letter (with your personal details removed) and attached document may
be published on the Department’s website.
If you would like to discuss this response with us, please contact Kat Lane, Auckland Inner
Islands Operations Manager, by email
to [email address].
Nāku noa, nā
Andrew Baucke
Regional Operations Director, Auckland
Department of Conservation
Te Papa Atawhai
Page 3 of 3
