Hamilton Stakeholder Meeting 20 October 2003
Ruakura, McMeekan Centre
2pm to 4pm
20 Attended (Rural Women New Zealand, Federated Mountain Clubs, Waikato Tramping Club, Monday Bush Walkers, Enderley Walkers, Wanderers Tramping Club, Probus Tramping Group, Waipa District Council, Fish and Game, Deer Farmers Association, Sustainable Options, Waikato Federated Farmers, Environmental Futures Inc, Dianne Yates MP, Martin Gallagher MP)
Commentary
· Federated Farmers representative: Examples: A `policy man' turned up on the farm and asked if he could bring a group of Maori to take watercress - agreed as this is his practice.
- A neighbour with leased land on the Whangamarino Swamp - deer came onto the land and a man wanted to go onto the land to shoot the deer amongst the dairy cows - when challenged he claimed that it was his right to do so as it was DOC land.
- How do we deal with people who think that they have access as of right?
- There are also problems of having to help people who get into trouble on your land e.g. a person got stuck in the swamp and the farmer had to tow him out.
- OSH makes it the farmer's problem, which is wrong.
- Auckland people think that they have the right to roam and pick whatever they like.
- Often immigrants.
- Talks to individuals, gives warnings and explains the dangers.
· Dairy dry stock farmer, adjacent to DOC land and with QEII Trust land and river: Neighbours etc ring if they want access to the bush to go shooting - this is polite and should be continued.
- It allows the farmer to monitor numbers to ensure safety e.g., of hunters - `willy nilly' access is dangerous as people shoot each other if they are unaware of others on the property.
- Another problem is marijuana growers walking through private land to access their plots.
- Clean up OSH and ensure that permission is required.
· People are more mobile and have less knowledge of rural issues and this will get worse.
- New migrants need to be trained in what is expected of them as New Zealanders, such as do not ravage the beaches.
- Asking permission is good practice.
- Need more education and marked access.
· Waipa District Council/Federated Farmers: Proactive, especially for conservation.
- Has been trying to get a walkway from Hamilton City to the field days site at Mystery Creed.
- With each subdivision, they get a bit more of the route done - no one knows where all these easements are except for district councils etc.
- Some have restrictions on them e.g., no access during calving.
- How do we make this information known?
· Need to address the ability to walk right around coast over clifftops if necessary e.g., where steep cliffs prevent walking along beach.
- It would be ideal if you were able to use the cliff tops too.
· How do you define a waterway?
- If a certain size or greater, requires a waterway needing a reserve.
- What about `unnatural' waterways e.g. canals?
- Whose responsibility is it to make the access way able to be walked on?
· What about in a drainage scheme - manmade water courses - is this up for a Queen's Chain?
- A coal mine with a river alongside it would be unsafe for people to walk across.
· Martin Gallagher: There is good practice amongst local government.
- The Waikato District Council is doing good work on walkways, paper roads etc.
- How proactive has local government been in developing a vision for land access?
- We are not good so far at peri-urban walkways.
- District councils need to be proactive, with a 30-40 year strategy to purchase or develop walkways.
· In the Waipa District, walkways are not such a high priority as in urban areas.
- Farmers will need to get some benefit from having a walkway e.g., be given an extra title.
· Negotiation processes must be simple or people will not bother.
· Fish and Game: The issues are usefully identified in the publication.
- Fish and Game are landowners and have had negative experiences from irresponsible access - people make money from restricting access - this needs to be addressed.
- Queen Victoria's wishes should be honoured.
- There are problems with marijuana growers - public access can help as the public presence discourages marijuana growers.
- There is a changing population and an increase in the percentage of `scumbags' - many of the latter are not interested in walking but target cars in the carpark.
- Some local authorities are doing very well, but others are not.
- Local authorities are disposing of paper roads, which provide access to rivers e.g. Otorohanga District Council.
· There is a need for some uniformity amongst organisations about reserves and access to them, then get onto educating the public.
- Education takes a long time.
- Compensate farmers now and provide insurance from taxpayers for the odd case where a gate is left open etc.
· Federated Mountain Clubs: Sort it out now - the report is excellent.
- There needs to be a range of options to suit landowners and different situations.
- Prefers negotiated access routes, does not want the right to roam - access routes do need to be practical.
- An education campaign is needed to ensure understanding of a code of conduct since the urban population is increasing and links are being lost with rural relatives.
· This is really about social issues.
- The declining rural-based population is a factor.
- Two farms in the area have been bought by urban people - with a very strict view of not allowing people onto their land - they treat the farm like a house section.
- Such people also need to be educated.
- Along the road through the Whangamarino, gates are broken and vandalism occurs.
- Need to ensure that it is walking access only.
· Urban or foreign buyers who do not understand the `rules' need to be educated.
- Need it to be with/on their title i.e., that access should be given to people who ask for permission for a reasonable purpose.
· How long will it take?
- It took 10 years to get the Hamilton walkway organised, people need to be prepared for a walkway to be put in place.
- After 10 years, most people who are upset have moved on, and the new people know that it is going to happen.
- It would be great to have a map of the walkways or accessways in the whole Waikato.
- A blueprint of where access will go - such as done in Cambridge.
- Regarding Lake Rotokauri, do we need to go through the same difficult process to the Environment Court that we have had to with the Hamilton Lake Walkway?
· The public comes onto his farm.
- If there were to be a designated walkway, he would want it to be at no cost to him and have security for his livelihood, such as stock.
· Education needs to start at schools including safe conduct amongst stock e.g., deer in the roar.
· There will be things happening in the future that we cannot foresee, so we need to have flexible legislation.
· There is reverse sensitivity at the moment, city folk moving to the country may complain about standard rural practices, such as education is too slow so they need something better, at once.
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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