18 May 2009

Claim farmers stuck in middle of legal row

6:17 am on 18 May 2009

The head of the High Country Accord says farmers are stuck in the middle of a High Court case between the Crown and the Fish and Game Council.

Fish & Game sought clarification over whether high country run-holders hold exclusive rights to the land they lease from the Crown. The High Court rejected that challenge.

The Agriculture Minister is now urging the Conservation Minister to look at the appropriateness of Fish & Game using licensing fees to fund the court action.

High Country Accord's chairman Jonathan Wallis says while he accepts that as an advocacy body the council has a role to investigate whether access can be improved, he doesn't think that should involve taking High Court Action.

He says it is questionable whether two government entities should be litigating against each other.