Wellington Stakeholder Meeting 16 October 2003
James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor
2pm to 4pm
33 Attended (Council of Recreational Associations, Landcorp Farming, Federated Freshwater Anglers, Fish and Game, Federated Farmers, Wellington Tramping Club)
Commentary
· Hugh Barr, Council of Recreation Associations: It is important not to stop the marginal strip process under the Conservation Act from happening for Crown exotic forests etc.
- It is important because ownership remains with the Crown.
- Section 58 of the Land Act 1948.
· Chris Kelly, Landcorp Farming: Would high country access under tenure review be restricted during lambing?
- Unfettered access onto Mount Peel?
- Support access.
- The right of veto is needed in certain circumstances, such as farm management/biosecurity.
· Strato Cotsilinis, Federation of Freshwater Anglers: He has not experienced refusal because of certainty about damage.
- It is other recreationalists who are causing problems.
- The code of conduct is important.
- OSH has created a sense of paranoia; it needs to be better explained.
- Remove the farmer's liability for recreational users.
- Level of exclusivity, especially in the Wainui Valley.
- Negotiation can assist access - at the Wainui River the local anglers have negotiated with landowners to get access.
· New Zealand has moved on since 1840 so everyone must move on.
- Highlights problems facing farming.
- Problems are a confiscation of title.
- Farmers must have the ability to say no at certain times of the year, such as lambing, even though the fishing season is at this time.
- Farmers are not prepared to accept more costs for access.
- This process has raised problems with access and the agricultural sector does not want to cover the costs any longer.
- Stock can be frightened and drown.
· Fish and Game: The community accepts the need for access management.
- We need to be able to enforce a code of conduct, to have teeth and to improve behaviour.
- OSH and other problems can be addressed.
· Cath Petrey, Federated Farmers: Either retain the ability to decline or do not.
- The solution seems to be around a problem that needs better definition.
- Where are the problems that require a legislative response?
- Is the Queen's Chain a problem, maybe the issues can be dealt with on a one-off basis.
· Regional councils need to provide better communication and `step up' on access issues.
- There are problems with shellfish being stripped from the foreshore, especially by immigrants.
- Ensure that people fish in only one area.
- The coastline should be managed through taiapure rather than locked up.
- DOC has had good communication on Soames Island, where there is one access point to manage access.
· Fish and Game wants to see a balance in access.
- Along the Ruamahunga River, an intensively farmed area, there is no Queen's Chain, the riverbed is Crown-owned, the river navigable and Fish and Game is doing a map on where people can and cannot go.
- Do not want huge amounts of access so that the trout reserve is not plundered.
- It could accept reducing or limiting access through farms where it would legitimately affect farm business, but this differs from access along rivers.
- Acknowledges the great value of the report and the balance that it brings.
· There are good reasons for restricting access to forests at certain times, such as during high fire risk.
- Concerned about the references in the report to the changing nature of property rights.
- How to balance access and property rights.
- Concerned about the view that the report seems to support greater rights of access.
- How do you draw parallels between the arrangements with recognised groups and the activities of individuals?
· The capture of roads for private individual purposes is of concern.
- How do we know the rights of way will persist in perpetuity?
- Councils could give access away sometimes without consultation.
· Forest and Bird support the idea of sensible and defined rights of access because of its practical approach.
- Unformed legal roads are farmed and planted yet owned by the public who could enforce their rights, such as at Banks Peninsula.
- Property rights cut both ways and it is not desirable to be absolutists about property rights.
- Private capture of public land such as esplanade reserves.
- Changing culture, such as increased subdivision.
- Do not want access to impact on conservation values.
· Expectations of newcomers to lifestyle blocks who do not want to see access.
· Vehicles or foot access - which were people interested in?
- Porirua City Council is very active in ensuring access to the water.
- Easements work well for walking access.
- Councils can negotiate solutions.
· Tramping Club: Agree that access is deteriorating, there are many examples such as the Wainouiomata River, Pencarrow to Bearing Head.
- There is a lack of information on public access.
- Information should be readily available on the LINZ website.
- Grateful for the farmer's permission, most landowners are good.
- Congratulations on the report, this is a good start.
· Is the issue accessing the river or along the river?
- It seems that access is to fishing spots.
- Oppose methods in district plans that give rights along a river.
· Access needs to be reasonable.
· Pleased that the report recognises exclusive capture.
- The report fairly raises the concerns of all parties and proposes reasonable solutions.
- The Trespass Act is being misused.
· Hunter: The Trespass Act is contrary to the egalitarian culture of the past 150 years.
- The 1968 Act changed the previous basis of the Trespass Act - criminal sanctions were incorporated, reflecting the escalation of the value of wildlife.
- The entanglement of access and criminal trespass has been unfortunate and has given de facto ownership of wildlife to the landowner.
- The Conservation Act rules relating to fisheries should also apply to large mammals.
- Recreation hunters also need access.
- The criminal sanctions do not belong to access law.
· How to maintain movement on this proposal.
- Need something like the FHF for access, to help purchase it.
- A sweetener can help deals.
- Negotiation could be an important tool in some situations.
· Regarding firearms, one size does not fit all.
- Need to know where people are with guns.
- Cannot see the need for a new access agency.
· Fish and Game are negotiating for access.
- A new agency will lose local control.
- Do not see a wave of access issues around the country.
- Property rights do not include fish, wildlife and water.
· The report needs better analysis of the problem, the report is `leaping' into solutions when problems are not known.
- The report is going more one way than the other.
- Public expectations are unrealistic and need to change.
- Need balance in the debate.
- Need to get the principles and analysis correct.
- Things change - what is acceptable now, may not be so in 50 or 100 years.
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
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