Landowners Urged To Send Govt The Message
Wednesday 24 Sep 2003 Gerry Eckhoff Press Releases -- Rural -- ACT Rural Website
ACT New Zealand Rural Affairs Spokesman Gerry Eckhoff today urged landowners to attend a series of Government-organised
public meetings to discuss the Land Access Ministerial Reference Group's recent report - or risk losing their property
rights by default.
"There is little doubt that the Government sees private land as an impediment to its collectivisation of recreational
opportunity," Mr Eckhoff said.
"Labour is promoting the foreshore and seabed as being in the public domain, where political patronage will soon be the
only guarantee of access. It is clear the Government wants something similar to apply to rivers and lakes.
"Chaired by John Acland, the Reference Group had absolutely no mandate to recommend the removal of landowners' rights,
just to accommodate Labour's agenda. It is quite erroneous of Mr Acland to insist that New Zealanders have a problem in
accessing the great outdoors because of the changing attitudes of farmers and landowners.
"Maybe recreationalists with an access problem should take a long hard look at themselves and learn to respect the
rights of landowners, whose past generosity is coming back to bite them," Mr Eckhoff said.
* The schedule of public meetings can be found at: http://www.act.org.nz/action/access.pdf
ENDS
For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at
act@parliament.govt.nz.