Doc wants the public to help with ideas to enhance the homestead and its surrounding area.
A draft discussion document has been released calling for public feedback, views and ideas, closing on October 4, on the future use of the homestead area "as a place New Zealanders can be proud of".
The discussion document also outlines development plans for the homestead area.
At the same time, Doc has called for expression of interest and proposals for a concession to use the homestead area.
The National Heritage Fund bought the historic 23,783 hectare property from the Williamson family to form a major part of the conservation park, opened in March 2005.
Doc leased 680ha including the homestead and surrounds back to the family for five years.
That lease expired in July last year and now Doc wants the public's views on the future management and use for what it terms "the entrance and facility area" which the homestead and its buildings offered.
The homestead offered a potential base for a conservation enterprise that would complement the conservation park.
The Twizel area offices community programme manager Sally Jones said there had been a "reasonable amount of interest", both in the discussion document and using the homestead facilities.
The draft discussion document, available on the Doc website, had already been sent to a number of people and interested parties.
The document allows people to take part and provide feedback on the proposals and issues surrounding use of the homestead facilities.
After considering the feedback, Doc would make decisions about the ongoing management of the area.
That would take into account the need to protect and preserve biodiversity, historic and recreational values, at the same time contributing to the local communities and their economies.
It focuses on the former Birchwood Station homestead and ancillary buildings.
Doc believed that could make a valuable contribution to conservation and preserve some of its key features, with the homestead and ancillary buildings providing both enjoyment for visitors and a suitable concession activity, including both recreational and educational opportunities.
The complex includes the homestead, shepherds' quarters, station stable and the old woolshed contained within a new woolshed.
Doc was conscious that it was costly to retain the buildings unless they had a valid purpose or use, at the same time preserving their historic integrity.
It is proposed to use the shepherds' quarters as staff accommodation for Doc when required for work purposes.
The stallion shed would be retained and used as a tack shed for visitors and their horses.
The elements of the old woolshed that remained would be utilised in any future restoration of the Quailburn woolshed, also park of the conservation park.
Some buildings would be offered by tender for sale and removal, including the new woolshed, a Lockwood house, hay barn and others deemed to have little future value in the future use of the area.
The horse paddock in front of the woolshed would be fenced for horses to stay overnight during trekking.
The department also intended to re-route the entrance road to the east of the woolshed through the sheep yards, to give more space between it and the homestead and aesthetically improve the entrance to the park.
The road would be maintained to the Canyon Creek car park, but Doc was not interested in having vehicles beyond that and would control unauthorised vehicle access.
A picnic area would be established around the shearers' quarters, some of it mown to reduce the fire hazard in what was potentially a busy area.
Most of the trees at the homestead and surrounding area would be retained to keep the historic context and provide shelter for visitors and buildings.
Trees that were a source of wilding spread, or posed a danger to visitors, would be removed.
