Invercargill Public Meeting 15 October 2003
Invercargill Working Men's Club, 154 Esk Street
7pm to 9pm
90 Attended
Commentary
· Interested in the idea of a statutory trust - believes that when land is sold, access must be sorted out beforehand - is that correct?
· Amount of land going into foreign ownership: culture overseas differs from culture of New Zealanders.
- Can the policy incorporate the New Zealand culture?
- Believes that these people withhold access.
· What is meant by the `main stakeholder' (as referred to in the newspaper)?
- Will the public be advised of what was said at that meeting?
· Gerry Eckhoff: Respect of property rights.
- Has a huge concern that the public (not those at the meeting) would respect property rights.
- It is about not how, but whether this proposal should go ahead.
- Demands the right to say no access to access - otherwise a `Mugabe' style approach.
- Does not challenge the integrity of the Group but the reasons behind it.
- The Government intends to impose access.
- Has supported the rights of Maori to their cultural rights.
- Does not seek to change the system that has worked well so far.
- Referred to the Prime Minister being turned down by a runholder and that is the reason behind the report.
- Should ask.
· Most agree with what Gerry Eckhoff says.
- Too much land is tied up.
- Want controlled access to fish rivers, not the right to roam.
- Referred to exclusive access, arrangements in the North Island.
· Gerry Eckhoff has complicated the situation: high country; guns and dogs; rivers are complicated e.g. Makarewa River at Wallacetown where fishing access is denied.
- Need to keep it simple.
- Need a government department to be responsible to keep this going.
- The New Zealand public owns the fishery.
- People are tying up land.
· It is not so much access but the damage that people do getting places.
· A lot of access is tied up because people do not respect privileges, i.e. a misuse of vehicles.
· People need to respect each other's rights, if they did, there would not be access problems.
· Commercial guides and tours and greed, not concerned about public access, which equals exclusive capture.
· Gerry Eckhoff: Concerned with personal safety.
- There has been a huge cultural shift.
- Rural New Zealand is a soft touch.
- Access will be taken advantage of by the people not here today.
- It is a complicated issue, but the overriding principle is that of property rights.
· Gerry Eckhoff is muddying the waters.
· People are locking up the land, that is why we are here - selling of exclusive access.
· Need to solve the Oreti River situation, that applies elsewhere in New Zealand.
- Shift public access to the river and the `original' reserve would go to the landowner.
- Would not impinge on the rights of owners, this would help them.
· Couldn't this all be fixed by the stroke of a pen?
· Do you want to catch all of the fish in the river, why do you need access to the entire river?
· An angler states that he has never been refused access when he has asked.
- There seems to be a change of attitude by younger people who do not ask.
- Would want people to ask.
- Local farmer not allowing access but giving tourists sole access rights.
- The problem is access up and down rivers, not across land.
- Congratulate Group on the report.
- Ambulatory marginal strips would not need to be surveyed, should be along all rivers.
- There has to be a two-way thing between the public and farmers.
· Likes the second objective about the need for better and more useful information on access and useful signage.
· Need access up/along rivers for tramping etc.
· Fishing competitions: access denied.
· What is the timetable for this process?
- Need to go back to the people to make sure that we have it right.
· Why didn't the regional council get an invitation to the meeting?
- Access needs to be maintained.
· Clarify access and trespass.
- If the right to roam gets approved, what happens to trespassers?
· Liability if people get access?
- Who is liable?
- What if the law is changed?
- The law needs to be looked at.
- There is too much confusion about the rules that apply.
· Farmers are locking up land because they fear liability and abuse of access when it is granted.
· Gerry Eckhoff referred to OSH liability - if a stag or bull killed a fisher, would OSH let the farmer get off without liability?
· Gerry Eckhoff likes the ambulatory marginal strip idea.
· Are there any rivers that are exempt from this provision of access?
- What would urban dwellers feel if the same request were made of them?
· Comment that there are views expressed which are coalescing.
- Most people do care about the needs of farmers.
- The objective is access along water margins not across land.
- Need to avoid individual wants overcoming the wider objective.
· Difficulty of land access in New Zealand, whereas in England access is easier, damage is low-key and easily resolved.
- There is a big difference between those who walk and users of vehicles.
- Need much better access information.
- Do not want to go to the English situation, but need better information.
Contact for Enquiries
Rural Affairs Coordinator
Sector Performance Policy
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0675
Fax: +64 4 4 894 0745
Contact this person
