End of an era draws near for ‘thesyndicate’

• Published date: 10 November 2022
• Publication title: Central Otago News

It’s a story that is firmly imbedded in Maniototo farming folklore

That time Laurie Inder could not find his heading dog while camped at Tailings Creek during the annual Mt Ida Syndicate muster. He later shone his torch down the long-drop toilet and discovered two little eyes peering back at him.

‘‘Yeah, yummy,’’ as syndicate shareholder Grant Geddes laconically says.

So what did Mr Inder do? ‘‘Kicked the toilet over and ran.’’

While many tales abound from syndicate musters, probably none were quite so legendary as the tale of Inder’s Dog, later immortalised in print by Naseby poet Ross ‘‘Blue Jeans’’ McMillan.

This year marks 125 years since the Scott, Inder and Hore families first saw the potential of the land, in the mountain range north of Naseby, to relieve the pressure on their home farms on the Maniototo Plain after dry, difficult years.

Since then, those three families have worked together, later joined by several others, moving sheep into the mountains in the summer, and then mustering them for the return home.

It has been a yearly ritual, eagerly looked forward to by successive generations, joined by neighbours and casual musterers, and a way of life specific to farming in the Maniototo. Those involved were proud of their stewardship of the land, and how they worked harmoniously together.

Originally, grazing was allowed under a pastoral occupation licence, which, unlike a pastoral lease, had a fixed term, with no right of renewal.

But since as far back as the 1960s, there has been debate about continued grazing on the land.

In 2008 the Commissioner of Crown Lands designated the Mt Ida Syndicate land for vesting in the Department of Conservation for conservation purposes. The farmers then sought a judicial review of the commissioner’s process.

In 2011, the farmers and Doc reached an out-of-court settlement, with grazing allowed for a 12-week period every year for the next 10 years, while the more than 8000ha block — now known as the Mt Ida Conservation Area — remained conservation land to be managed by Doc.

Farmers later accepted a three-year wind-down period — the alternative was ‘‘out then’’ — with grazing to cease by 2026. There was little point continuing to fight; if it came back to being reviewed, then the same people that made the decision would be reviewing it, Alistair Scott said.

‘‘It’s a goner,’’ Jock Scott — Alistair’s cousin — added.

Those involved were saddened that such an integral part of their own family and the wider district — even New Zealand’s pastoral history — was disappearing.

But given this year officially marked the 125th anniversary since the syndicate was established, Jock Scott said they could not let it pass by without marking it and, while details were yet to...