Got the beach; now buy the farm
Inspired by New Zealand’s successful Buy a Beach crowdfunding campaign, a conservationist wants the nation to buy a high country station in the South Island’s Mackenzie country.
The 4000-hectare station has been put up for sale by Americanborn Cayman Islands billionaire Ken Dart, whose fortune comes from global investments in distressed debt and luxury property, plus a family business making polystyrene cups.
Dart’s company RHL (Lilydale) Ltd bought the high country station for $3.5 million in 2013 from previous owners Donald and Barbara Bray, after it had been in the Bray family for 100 years. Media-shy Dart is worth an estimated US$6 billion and has other New Zealand interests include the Wairoa Gorge mountain bike park in Nelson which he leases to a local mountain bike club. Lilydale Station is east of Lake Tekapo and the purchase required Overseas Investment Office approval. Dart’s plans to develop it as a bike park, part of the purchase conditions, did not eventuate and the company has put it up for sale.
The land’s high altitude means it is unsuitable for farming but its grasslands are habitat for deer, tahr, chamois, pigs and wallaby, and it is used for trophy hunting. There is also some grazing land, tramping tracks and musterers’ huts, and part of the land is leased at a peppercorn rental to Fox Peak Ski Club as a skifield.
Real estate agents JLL are marketing the land based on its conservation and recreation potential, citing outdoor pursuits, walking, mountain biking, horse trekking, claybird shooting, motocross, and skiing as possible uses. In response, Timaru-based conservationist and artist John Overton has announced he hopes to launch a crowdfunding campaign to buy the land for $3.5m, if he can get support from groups such as Environment Canterbury, Department of Conservation, Ngai Tahu, and Forest and Bird.
‘‘There’s a lot of displeasure at the moment about what’s happening with the high country stations and foreign ownership,’’ Overton said.
‘‘This would allow Kiwis to enjoy it and get it back in Kiwi ownership. The station is reasonably small and it’s freehold – and not such a big price so it’s a good opportunity.’’ He said the campaign would be similar to the 2016 Buy a Beach $2m-plus crowdfund – topped up by the Government – which bought a piece of Awaroa beach in Tasman Bay.
He is now trying to form a trust, which he has already asked government, iwi or interest groups to be a part of, as an ownership vehicle for the property.
He has not yet received responses. They would need to have an offer conditional on funding to the owners by the end of August, and would then launch the Give-a-Little crowdfunding campaign, he said.
Overton’s previous conservation plans have included planting an edible garden at the old Mt Crawford prison and designing an eco-village tourist attraction for Miramar, both in Wellington.
In 2016 he stood for the Wellington mayoralty saying he rejected globalisation and embraced radical localisation. He is originally from Christchurch.
Overton said Lilydale Station could be used for conservation projects including establishing an edible forest. He would like to see recreation including the ski club’s activities continue, and suggested the mountain bike and tramping tracks could be further developed.
Overton has not been to the property but intends to visit.