Public servant’s legacy will live on in thoughtfully planned conservation land
HIKING tracks and cycle trails are the visible marks Jeff Connell left on Otago as a steadfast advocate of public land.
Although Mr Connell faced controversy in his 20 years as the Department of Conservation’s Otago conservator, he always said it ‘‘came with the territory’’.
He played a pivotal role in the Ngai Tahu Treaty settlement process for the Greenstone, Elfin Bay and Routeburn high country stations at the head of Lake Wakatipu.
He was also instrumental in negotiating public access to Motatapu Station, which led to the formation of the Motatapu Track, and was a founder of the Otago Central Rail Trail.
Mr Connell died of cancer at the Nelson Hospice on October 13.
Department of Conservation directorgeneral Lou Sanson said Mr Connell was one of its ‘‘formative members’’.
‘‘Jeff’s great skill was his policy analysis. He had a knowledge of legislation, especially for what the Otago high country can be.
‘‘He was one of the first in New Zealand to see the possibilities of cycleways. The whole legacy of accommodation and restaurants throughout Central Otago are because of his tenacity to stick with his vision.’’
Through tenure review, he was able to help create conservation parks.
As these projects occupied traditional grazing land, they garnered opposition from high country farmers, but Mr Connell always persevered, Mr Sanson said.
‘‘Initially, I found him hard to work with. I was the Southland conservator and there was a competitive element, disagreeing over things like how we run either side of the Routeburn Track.
However, they eventually grew closer and Mr Sanson admired his colleague’s great wit.
Jeffrey Edward Connell was born on August 26, 1948, and grew up in Tawa, the son of Melva and Seddon Connell, at a time when the hills were covered in farmland and bush.
There he attended Tawa College. In his 20s, he became a keen surfer, tramper, skier and mountaineer. In 2009, he told the Otago Daily
Times that period of outdoor activity led to his future career with the department.
He studied law at Victoria University, graduating in 1971 and working in private practice.
He joined the public service in 1974 and had roles as a solicitor in the State Services Commission then the Ministry of Transport.
He represented the Civil Aviation Authority during the Erebus inquiry after the Crown solicitor became ill.
The turning point came when he became Road Transport assistant director and attended a government career development course.
‘‘You filled out a questionnaire and it was sent to the US, where it went through a computer, which was still quite novel then. It came back, telling me I should apply to Doc, so I did.’’
In 1987, he joined Doc as regional manager in Whanganui, and two years later was appointed Otago conservator.
In Queenstown, he was struck by the lack of conservation land.
By the end of his time, he had pushed for a string of highcountry land purchases including Flat Top Hill, Sandymount Reserve and the Grand and Otago skink habitat. He admitted to the Otago Daily
Times in 2009 that the highcountry farming community at the time was ‘‘yet to warm’’ to his idea of a park network.
He and Dunedin philanthropist Les Cleveland set up the Otago Central Rail Trail Trust to attract donations and provide a focus for community support for the trail, which opened in 2000.
This was another project the farming community initially opposed, but one most eventually embraced.
Mr Connell never planned to stay in Otago so long, but was kept there by its ‘‘distinctive and fascinating landscape’’.
He was awarded a New Zealand Order of Merit in 2019.
In his last decade, he focused on his landscape painting, in which the texture and colour of Otago tussock grasslands remained a focal point.
During his second marriage, his sons Joe and Jeff were born.
His third marriage came in 1999 to Sandra (nee Nash), and he became stepfather to her children, Brigid, Angela and Adrian.
Mrs Connell said her husband was ‘‘very intelligent’’.
‘‘He loved his family and loved his job.’’
He had a passion for tramping and the two joined walking groups when they moved to Nelson in 2012.
These walks worked as inspiration for his art.
‘‘We would take a lot of photos on these walks and just got better and better. He loved his painting.’’