Aerial view showing the Haast river and Clarke Bluff area. The Cowan family graze cattle from the Clarke Bluff to the sea using concessions and freehold land.

A West Coast farmer is fighting to keep 150-year-old rights to graze cattle in a UNESCO World Heritage Park.

For the first time in 150 years, the public has had a say on whether cattle can be grazed on conservation land in the Haast River valley.

The Department of Conservation publicly notified the application by Haast farmer John Cowan to graze a maximum of 60 cows all year round, and 50 calves for six months of the year, on 736 ha of the Haast River valley, between the Roaring Billy and the confluence of the Landsborough River. The Cowan family graze cattle from the Clarke Bluff to the sea using a mixture of concessions and three areas of freehold land.

Joanne Carroll John Cowan, George Ivey, Catherine Ivey and Charlotte Ivey who graze cattle on the Haast River.

The area is within the UNESCO World Heritage Park and adjacent to the Mount Aspiring National Park.

The department received 36 submissions, two in support and 34 against the concession.

A hearing was held in Hokitika on Tuesday, with seven submitters being heard.

Joanne Carroll Dozens turned out to protest in support of an application to continue grazing cattle on the Haast River.

A group of about 50 West Coast farmers, coal miners, gold miners and other business people gathered outside the hearing to support the Cowan family.

Organiser Brett Cummings, president of the West Coast Commercial Gold Miners' Association, said he wanted to protest against Forest and Bird and "the policy makers in Wellington" taking access to conservation land away from West Coast business people.

"People have been fighting their battles for years. It's time we got together. The new Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage wants to put an end to mining and farming on conservation land. If John Cowan loses his rights, they'll come after the next one. Many jobs will be lost," he said.

Supplied The area of the Haast river where farmer John Cowan has concession to graze cattle.

Cowan said he was overwhelmed with the support.

He bought the lease 40 years ago, but the land had been grazed for 150 years.

"It's the first time we've had to publicly notify the application. We just got it renewed with no fuss before. This is totally new to us. We have a great working relationship with DOC and we want it to continue. We're fighting for our lives basically," he said.

Supplied Maps by Dunedin scientist Theo Stephens in opposition to an area grazed by Haast farmer John Cowan.

Dunedin scientist and part-time Haast resident Theo Stephens spoke in opposition to the application.

He photographed "ecological damage and degradation" in the area in May.

He told the hearing he found evidence of "extensive damage" caused by cows grazing in the Mount Aspiring National Park.

He said the water quality of several creeks and native fish habitats had been degraded by defecation and silt. He said the river flats and forest areas had all been trampled on and heavily grazed.

He said granting the application would be unlawful and contrary to the Conservation Act and the Mount Aspiring National Park.

It was impossible to stop the cows from grazing in the National Park as there were no fences.

He said he compared a 2012 Google image showing rare ribbonwood forests to photos he had taken recently where the trees had been destroyed by cows grazing.

He claimed the Cowan's stock yard had been expanded, drains had been dug and a bull was present, all of which were outside the conditions of the concession.

He said DOC had only inspected the property once since 2013, instead of yearly as required. He said DOC's report on the environmental impacts of the grazing was "appalling".

The assessment report for DOC found the area was "well managed" and conditions of the licence appeared to have been complied with.



"Overall, the magnitude and extent of these impacts on conservation values is considered to be minor and of a nature to be expected from the activity," it said.

Forest and Bird's submission against the application said it was entirely inappropriate to continue to provide for cattle grazing in the Haast River.

"It may be a practice that has been provided for historically but it is considered that the activity no longer has any social license. There are already impacts on ecological values, including native bird and freshwater fish species. Most of these animal species are threatened," it said.

"The ongoing issue of the applicant's cattle intruding into the Mt Aspiring National Park to be a very serious matter."

Cowan's son-in-law George Ivey told the hearing he was a conservationist. While it was impossible to stop the cows from entering the river or the National Park, he estimated they spent 90 per cent of their time in the concession area.

His wife used the cow faeces on her organic vegetable garden.

"Our cow faeces is not a toxic substance. We do not use fertiliser at all. It is a totally organic system. The faeces has much lower levels of nutrients like nitrogen than in farms that do use fertiliser," he said.

Grazing cattle in the area was part of South Westland's heritage and he believed the application would be maintaining the "intrinsic value" of the land.

He said Stephens' submission was "misinformation" because he had visited the area after a large flood. The stock yard, which was only used three times a year had not been extended and small drains were needed to prevent further damage to the soil by cows after a period of heavy rainfall.

He said the silt in the waterways had been caused by a large slip during cyclones and the forest had been destroyed by deer, not cows.

In some areas, the forest had regenerated since the deer population had reduced, he said.

DOC's West Coast operations director Mark Davies will make a decision on the application.