A pastoral lease is an arrangement used in both Australia and New Zealand where Crown land is leased by government generally for the purpose of grazing on rangelands.
Contents
Australia
Pastoral leases exist in both Australian commonwealth law and state jurisdictions.
Under Commonwealth of Australia law, applicable only in the Northern Territory, they are agreements that allow for the use of Crown land by farmers, etc.
In the Australian states, leases constitute a land apportionment system created in the mid-19th century to facilitate the orderly division and sale of land to European colonists. Leases within state jurisdictions have variations as to applicability from state to state.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation has conducted research on pastoral lands in the terms of the lands as rangelands on a country-wide basis
Relevant legislation and management
Australian jurisdictions have land management legislation that affects the administration of pastoral leases: -
Pastoral lease information
New Zealand
The statutory provisions of pastoral leases are covered by the New Zealand Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998 and the Land Act 1948. The holder of the lease has:
Pastoral leases are undergoing a voluntary tenure review process.