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Otago

Otago Conservancy Office
Phone:	+64 3 477 0677
Fax:	+64 3 477 8626
Email:	otago@doc.govt.nz
Address:	Conservation House 77 Lower Stuart St Dunedin 9016
Postal Address:	P O Box 5244 Moray Place Dunedin 9058

On behalf of the public, the Department of Conservation manages 452,000 ha or 12 per cent of the land area of Otago.

For management purposes, the conservancy is divided into four areas, each with its own office and staff. The conservancy headquarters is in Dunedin.

The largest land unit is Mount Aspiring National Park, 192,854ha of which lies within the Otago Conservancy boundary. Other major units are Catlins Coastal Rainforest Park (42,000ha), Te Papanui Conservation Park (21,000 ha) Hawea Conservation Park (105,000ha as well as other high country conservation parks in prospect on the Otago block mountains as a result of tenure review of pastoral leasehold land. Conservation parks are proposed for the Rock and Pillar (Patearoa), Old Man (Kopuwai), Old Woman and Pisa Ranges, The Remarkables (Kawarau) and Oteake.

As tenure review proceeds in Otago, significant blocks of high country land will come under conservation management over the next few years. Conservation covenants negotiated by the Department on private land in Otago total 42, protecting a combined area of 4,757 ha.

Concessions

A major aspect of the department's work in Otago concerns the issuing of concessions (permits, leases and licences) to the private sector to operate on land managed by the department. More than 300 concessions apply to activities such commercial tourism and recreational ventures, mining, telecommunications sites and grazing. Tourism ventures include bungy jumping, skifields and jetboating.