I'm not a particular supporter of the government but I must congratulate them on abandoning the high country tenure review process.

I doubt many New Zealanders know that for the last 20 years successive governments have effectively been giving away public land at knockdown prices to leaseholders in the South Island high country.

Around 500,000 hectares that was once owned by you and me is now in private hands and in most cases they are extremely affluent hands. Some of the most desirable land around places like the Lake Wanaka shoreline is now owned by billionaires or multi-millionaires and is inaccessible to the public. Other areas have been turned into golf courses or gated communities with houses in the $10 million to $25 million range.

This has also led to more intensive farming in places like the Mackenzie where the once beautiful, stark landscape has been blighted by large swathes of green created by irrigation and munched on by large dairy herds.

Canceling the review process hasn't come a moment too soon although, depressingly, most of the properties where the leaseholders derived huge benefit from it and the public a huge loss, have already been processed. There are very few stations left that would have entered the process anyway and the 40 or so that are currently being reviewed should be canceled immediately.

It's a public disgrace and not a single person will hold their hand up and say sorry.

I