Farm leader gained respect of many

By Tim Cronshaw, The Press. Reprinted with permission.

Farmers were shocked by the untimely death of John Aspinall, widely respected for his work to improve farming, conservation and recreation in the high country.

Aspinall, 60, died after a short illness. The unassuming farmer was a hard working leader for Federated Farmers, reaching to national board level, sat on property access groups and set up the Hieracium Control Trust.

This work was on top of a heavy farming workload at the family's Mt Aspiring Station near Wanaka, but Aspinall will be perhaps be best remembered by the 50,000 to 80,000 visitors to whom he gave access to his property each year.

John Acland, from Mt Peel Station, said he admired Aspinall's quick intellect and quiet, achieving nature which would be a loss to farming leadership. His consensus approach and ability to find common ground enabled him to bring different groups together, he said.

"It was a tragedy for his family at 60 and a tragedy for the nation because he had just got off the farm and could have been loaded up with all sorts of jobs for the next 15 years because the ability was there. "Sixty was too young, " he said.

Acland was chairman of the groups evolving into the Walking Access Commission and was supported by Aspinall when the walking access issue was at his height. "When I got a farmer unreasonable about any access at all I got John on his feet to tell them he had 80,000 visitors a year. He was reasonable in allowing people access, but he knew the problems and he always had a balanced view."

Visitors were freely allowed access to his property to reach the recreational playground around Mt Aspiring National Park and Aspinall was active in search and rescue. He and his wife, Sue, were recognised when they were the supreme winners of the Otago Ballance Farm Environment Awards. In 1995, he was honoured with an achievement award by the Otago branch of the Institute of Agricultural Science.

Federated Farmers High County chairman Graham Reed said his death would be felt throughout the farming community.
His quiet, patient style won supporters and he was a "tremendous" advocate of the high country community, he said. "He was a guy with communication skills and the intellect to command respect and that's the feedback I have of him. He was respected by all sides of the table."

Reed said he never knew how Aspinall balanced farming with many Wellington visits to represent farming issues or his work as an advocate of the community during the writing of district plans for the Queenstown Lakes area. When the Hieracium Control Trust was down in funding Aspinall was know to dip into his own pocket.

Federated Farmers vice-president William Rolleston said he always admired Aspinall for welcoming so many people on Mt Aspiring Station. "It just shows what can be achieved with goodwill and when you show people respect, they show respect in return."