Report of the Land Access Ministerial Reference Group: Walking Access to the New Zealand Outdoors
In January 2003, the Government set up the Land Access Ministerial Reference Group (the Group) to study issues around access to land, in response to concerns over the need to clarify and enhance the legal situation pertaining to public access over private land and the foreshore of lakes and the sea and along rivers.
The Group completed its report recently after considering many views around land access. The report provides a wealth of material for discussion and raises matters and options that require further consideration and wide debate.
Access to the outdoors is a very important part of the New Zealand tradition. I am committed to ensuring that New Zealanders continue to have the opportunity to communicate with nature through the soles of their feet.
I am, therefore, very interested in your response to the report and how access can continue to be available to New Zealanders in the future. I encourage and look forward to a constructive debate.
For further information on the report please contact:
Media enquiries:
Cathie Bell, Office of the Minister for Rural Affairs, Phone - (04) 471-9855 Email - catherine.bell@parliament.govt.nz
Report enquiries:
Mark Neeson, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Phone - (04) 498-9831 Email - mark.neeson@maf.govt.nz
Grant King, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Phone - (04) 474-4235 Email - grant.king@maf.govt.nz
Sharon Thurlow, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Phone - (04) 470 4735 Email - sharon.thurlow@maf.govt.nz
Feedback
Thank you for taking the time to read the report of the Land Access Ministerial Reference Group (the Group). Your feedback on the report is welcome. The following questions are intended to guide input to the consultation process. These questions are not an exclusive list, and you may raise any matters on any aspect relating to access in the report.
Current Situation
- What current processes for access are working well and why?
New Zealand Access Strategy
- Do you think that a New Zealand access strategy is required?
- If so, what is your vision for an access strategy in New Zealand?
- What matters do you consider need to be addressed in any strategy to enhance access?
- What should a New Zealand access strategy look like and why?
Objectives
The Report suggests five objectives for a New Zealand access strategy.
- Do you agree or disagree with these objectives?
- How could leadership for access be strengthened?
- How can greater clarity and certainty about the availability of access be provided?
- If a code(s) of conduct were to be developed, what could it cover?
- Do you consider that a code(s) of conduct for access could be useful?
- How could the Queen’s Chain be enhanced?
- What role could negotiated solutions play in enhancing access?
Options
- Which aspects of the options in the report (Chapter 10) do you favour or not favour, and why?
- How could the options be made to work more effectively?
- Can you suggest any other options for enhancing access? (please describe)
The material that you provide may be the subject of requests for information under the Official Information Act 1992 (OIA). The OIA specifies that information is to be made available to any requester unless there are sufficient grounds for withholding it, as set out in the OIA. If you provide material, you may wish to indicate grounds for withholding specific material contained in the material; such as the information is commercially sensitive or you wish that personal information is withheld. Any decision to withhold information requested under the OIA is reviewable by the Ombudsman.
Your responses can be sent to:
Land Access Report
c/o Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
WELLINGTON
Or emailed to Iand.access@maf.govt.nz
Please provide these no later than 30 November 2003
