9 December 2015

Mackenzie Agreement Working Group making excellent progress with Trust formation

The six nominated members of the Shared Vision Forum, who make up the Mackenzie Agreement Working Group (MAWG) met for the second time on Sunday 6th December to further the establishment of the Mackenzie Country Trust. The six members are the Chairman, Mike Neilson (Tourism Waitaki), David Stone (Ohau Protection Society), Marie Brown (Environmental Defence Society), Andrew Simpson (Mackenzie Federated Farmers), Claire Barlow (Mayor Mackenzie District Council) and Peter Wilson (Federated Mountain Clubs). Both half day meetings have been attended by all members of the Working Group.

Thirteen members of the Shared Vision Forum, authors of The Mackenzie Agreement agreed to the formation of this working group when sixteen of the 22 original signatories to the Shared Vision Forum met in late October. The members of the Forum developed the Mackenzie Agreement in a collaborative process based on a good faith relationship with the Government during 2011 and 2012. Previously, signatories to the Mackenzie Agreement had expressed their disappointment with the Government’s delayed response and inadequate recognition of the funding needs of the Agreement. Despite these initial reservations Chairman, Mike Neilson said that “the Working Group has made very positive progress with its task and that all Working Group members were looking forward to the Mackenzie Country Trust becoming a reality early next year.”

At this second meeting in Twizel, the Working Group met with the Hon. Nicky Wagner, Associate Minister of Conservation who has Government responsibility for the project and had opened the Shared Vision Forum in late October. The Associate Minister spent time with the group reviewing the draft Trust Deed and discussing matters relating to trustee selection, protection mechanisms and the ongoing relationship the Trust will have with the Minister, Forum members and communities and people for whom the Mackenzie is important.

The Trust Deed which will be focused on the goal of protecting the iconic landscapes and biodiversity of the Mackenzie Basin is now ready to be finalised by Bell Gully who are undertaking this work on a pro bono basis. The Deed will include the full text of “The Mackenzie Agreement” as a schedule so that the agreed intent of the Shared Vision Forum is embodied in the Trust Deed.

The Working Group is progressing the selection of the initial seven trustees and will be finalising this over the next month. The group will meet once more and are planning to have the Trust formed by the beginning of February with the first meeting of the trustees during February. The Working Group has been provided with administrative support by the Department of Conservation.

ENDS

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