New Plymouth Public Meeting 21 October 2003
Grand Central Hotel, 42 Powderham Street
7pm to 9pm
120 Attended
Commentary
· How long will the right to roam be off the agenda?
· Who paid the Group?
· What is the new OSH legislation - is there also responsibility for stress?
· If you have a property, is the Queen's Chain identified on the title?
· `If it ain't broke, why fix it'?
· Why exclude hunters and dogs?
· Does this mean that legislation will involve hunters and dogs?
· There is a right for urban people to do what they want in the city.
· Issue that when the Queen's Chain is identified, it is likely to be fenced off.
· If I want to go somewhere in town, I do not have the right to walk across someone's section - so where do you draw the line between rural and urban land?
· What do you define as a waterway?
· Plant riparian strips and cannot access it because of the vegetation.
· There are a lot of different rivers running down to the sea in Taranaki, major subdivision along the coast, but not rural land.
· Right as landowners to have control of property - who is going to wear the cost?
- People leave their rubbish around, campsites, toilets etc - need correct disposal units.
- You have not sorted the issues out, or put a lot of thought into the background.
· How do you intend to identify the Queen's Chain to the walking public?
· How do you intend to keep people on the Queen's Chain?
· It appears that the outlines are so broad that there is a lot of detail in the legislation.
· Who gets to maintain the Queen's Chain?
· Surely we as landowners get a right to say who is on our land, if we do not know, there are problems.
· People wander without asking landowners.
· No idea of where paper roads are.
· What if all paper roads are opened up and we have everyone running across them?
· Why do you need legislation to negotiate?
· Education.
· Has there been any consideration given to the English system of bridle paths?
· Why are we here?
· Code of conduct - how can we stop people from going astray?
· No problem giving permission to people who ask for it, it is the people who do not ask - need to know who is on land, lost a lot of stock, dogs roam.
· Is there a plan to label existing Queen's Chain legislation or make a Queen's Chain on all waterways where it currently does not exist?
· Problem with people camping, leaving litter without asking for access.
· Happy with access currently, with permission, as long as property rights stay.
· If the property changes hands, the next person should get compensation as of right.
· A fisher may walk up a river and go through 4 farms, how long will it take to access landowners?
· Need to make the effort - have a list of landowners/numbers before you get there.
· Taranaki is a mass of paper roads.
· A fundamental issue is the loss of property rights, this is a path for confrontation.
· By and large agree with the recommendations but the Government has probably already got the rules drafted.
- This issue faces matters such as the RMA, with property rights going from the private landowner to the public.
· Pakeha are no different to tangata whenua, we are all one people.
· Maori landowner: Where does history come into the mix?
- Recreationalists identify the land that they historically have had access to.
- Right now to say no to requirement for access.
- This is not about Maori or Pakeha but responsibility to farm properties.
· The Group has their hearts in the right places, but a real trust problem with the Government.
· How wide will waterways be?
· Problem of commercialisation of public resource - access loophole - needs to be a change in the Conservation Act.
· Taranaki is unique in the New Zealand context.
- Congenial relationship with farmers.
- Does not have high value trout fishing here with only 5-6 fish per kilometre.
- Appreciate concerns with OSH.
- There is a knowledge gap between landowners and legislation.
- Tradition of getting to trout after paying licence, recognition that people enjoy that sport.
- But now a problem as trout have a capital value and people are buying farms for commercial recreation values.
- Fishers are `meat in the sandwich'.
- Would like to think that the status quo will remain.
- Want to co-operate.
· Will see a surge in rural crime, rural woman are `terrified' - a problem with the people who are not here tonight.
· Agree about rural crime.
· Wellington Anglers negotiated with all landowners along the Wainouiomata River, with a 99% take-up, maps have contact details.
· People help themselves to stock such as farmbikes.
· Crime waves can drop with access, there are two sides to every coin.
· What laws are in place regarding local bodies?
· What percentage of New Zealand is available to New Zealanders at this time?
· DOC has a fee for people crossing its estate, yet there is free access to farmers' land.
· Did not know that there was a meeting - you have to make people more aware.
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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