Concern at Public Access Cop-out

Rumours that the Acland Public Access Improvement panel have got cold feet in their recommendations to Government are gravely concerning the Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations. [Christchurch Press ran a front page article on Saturday claiming the Acland Panel had backed down on its key task on recommending to Government how the Queen’s Chain, the publicly owned strip of land along waterways and the coast could be extended. Article “Queen’s Chain Plan to be axed” linked below].

“Labour clearly differentiated itself ahead of National on public access in its 1999 Election manifesto” Council spokesman Dr Hugh Barr said. “It proposed completing the Queen’s Chain to the 30% of waterways and coasts where it does not exist, or is misaligned. National governments in contrast have successively removed and undermined public access rights when in power. This is a main reason why these rights have declined significantly in the last 20 years.”

“The New Zealand public’s access rights date from the first days of nationhood in 1840, and a desire of settlers to encourage public access, unlike in Britain” Dr Barr said. “Consequently the public has a very strong system based on publicly owned access strips of land eg legal roads.”

“CORANZ had been extremely concerned that knowledgeable outdoor recreation professionals had been largely shut out of Labour’s two recent access panels on improving public access,” Dr Barr said. “Of the eight members on the current panel, only one has a professional outdoor recreation background. The other seven have backgrounds involving landowner or rural interests.”

CORANZ and other recreational and landowner interests, were briefed recently by the Panel before it finalised its recommendations. “At this briefing it was clear that the Panel’s proposals, though good in parts, had backed away from the key issue of completing the Queen’s Chain” Dr Barr said. “It is very disappointing but not unexpected given the Panel’s composition, that it has dropped the ball on this key issue.”

The Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations (CORANZ) is the national council of seven major national outdoor recreation associations - Federation of Freshwater Anglers, New Zealand Deerstalkers Association, Public Access New Zealand, New Zealand Four Wheel Drive Association, New Zealand Bowhunters Society, New Zealand Salmon Anglers Association; option 4, and the Marlborough Recreational Fishers Association. CORANZ seeks discussion and common ground on outdoor recreation issues.


The Press article:
Queen's Chain plan to be axed
By COLIN ESPINER in WELLINGTON
The Press | Saturday, 24 February 2007

Plans for a "Queen's Chain" across New Zealand's back country are set to be dumped by the Cabinet in a major Government concession to farmers.

The Press understands a consultation panel headed by South Canterbury farmer John Acland has recommended Rural Affairs Minister Damien O'Connor ditch plans to force open large tracts of the countryside to public access through legislation. Instead, the panel has recommended the Government reaffirm the private land rights of farmers and set up a travelling agency with the power to hear district access issues and negotiate solutions with farmers and the public. In return, farmers are understood to have agreed to allow walkers the right to use the large number of paper roads that criss-cross the country. Where these are unsuitable, the agency could hold talks on a land swap in return for the deletion of the paper road. Better signposting of rights-of-way and areas where the public can walk or drive are recommended.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/3972181a10.html