Walking Access Report

Questions and Answers

Q Does the Government agree with the panel’s recommendations?

The Government has considered the panel's recommendations and has asked officials to provide a response, looking at the implications of implementation. It has noted that the panel has reported in accordance with its Terms of Reference and agreed to the public release of the report.

Q Was the panel directed by the government in terms of its conclusions and recommendations?

No, the panel operated independently from ministers and reached its own conclusions based on the extensive consultations it carried out.

Q Was the Panel asked to make recommendations on how to “complete the Queen’s Chain”?

No, the panel was asked to consult with interest groups and attempt to reach a consensus on walking access issues. Some recent media reports suggest the Government is poised to dump plans for a Queens Chain across New Zealand's back-country – there have never been any such plans.

Q What is the Labour Party's position on walking access?
Its position was clearly signalled in the confidence and supply agreement with supporting parties that the Labour-led Government work with United Future and New Zealand First.
Labour's 2005 policy on Rural Affairs states it will: "Conduct further consultation on the proposals to achieve practical and secure access along coasts, significant rivers and lakes and other publicly owned conservation areas, while at the same time respecting the interests of property owners.
The government considers walking access to the “great outdoors” to be a significant social and cultural issue of concern to many New Zealanders and is committed to seeing the confusion around access removed.

Q Did the panel lack “a professional outdoor recreational background”?

No. The panel members have a wide variety of relevant backgrounds.

Q Will “paper roads” be opened up to the public?

Unformed legal roads, often referred to as “paper roads” are already open to the public. The supplementary research paper on unformed legal roads explores this issue in detail. The panel has made recommendations about the use of unformed legal roads, and these will be considered by the Government.

Q How long has the Panel been working on this report?

The panel was appointed in August 2005. The panel conducted a consultation process, and accepted written submissions until 28 July 2006. The Panel then analysed the submissions and formed its conclusions and recommendations as detailed in the resulting report.

Q If the panel’s recommendations are accepted by the Government, will farmers have a “right of veto” over access?

Not over existing access rights such as unformed legal roads. The panel has recommended that access over private land should be by negotiation and agreement.

Q Do the public have existing legal rights to cross private land to access water, freshwater fisheries and wildlife?

No. Although the ownership of these resources does not generally attach to land title under New Zealand law, there is no legal right to cross private land to access them.

Q Has the panel considered access to Maori-owned land?

Yes. The panel is aware that legal differences between some types of Maori land and general title land mean that access arrangements require careful consideration.

Q Has the panel considered other forms of access, such as vehicle access?

Matters other than walking access fall outside the panel’s Terms of Reference, but the panel has made some recommendations on additional matters raised in submissions. The panel believes that access over private land with vehicles, firearms and dogs is a matter for negotiation.

Q Does the panel recommend that compensation be paid for access?

The panel believes that compensation may be appropriate in some cases. It has recommended the establishment of a contestable fund, to help pay for signage and the negotiation of new access.

Q Has the panel recommended the establishment of a “travelling” access organisation?

Media speculation about the creation of a “travelling” access organisation is not accurate. The panel has recommended the establishment of a new access organisation. The organisation would have a national governance board and a structure that reflects the need to carry out work at a local level. It would not, however, be a travelling organisation.

ENDS

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