Executive Summary
Much of New Zealand's culture and recreation is based on access to the outdoors, whether it be in the mountains, countryside, on rivers and lakes or the coastline. The current concern is that the social conventions that have governed how this access has traditionally been sought and obtained are becoming less stable. Contributing factors include increased responsibilities on landowners, and change in communities, land uses and recreation patterns.
There is a divergence between the expectations and understanding of those providing and those demanding access, which causes tension between tangata whenua, landowners, users and agencies.
This report outlines the discussions and conclusions of the Ministerial Reference Group established in January 2003 to consider whether the arrangements for public access to water margins, access to public land and private rural land are sufficient, while providing for private land use, both now and in the future.
The report proposes a New Zealand access strategy, which has five objectives that underpin the shape and content of the strategy:
- to strengthen leadership and to provide direction for, and coordination of, access arrangements nationwide;
- to provide greater clarity and certainty of access by locating and publising what is acceptable and where it may occur;
- to affirm the validity and embrace the ethos of the Queen's Chain by providing mechanisms for its promotion and enhancement;
- to encourage negotiated solutions; and
- to find ways to improve current legislation provisions for access.
The current legislative mechanisms for access and institutional arrangements are proving to be inflexible and insufficient to meet the expectations for access, today and in the future. The report concludes that a more assured approach to access is needed. This report is intended to promote discussion and debate on the topic, as its implications are very complex. The property rights ethos predominates in New Zealand. It cannot realistically be expected that this will change quickly to accommodate access pressures.
New Zealanders need to be willing to debate the complexities and implications for access to protect and enhance the opportunities for all to have walking access to the outdoors.
Contact for Enquiries
Mark Neeson
Manager, Land and Water Policy
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington
Phone: +64 894 0703
Fax: +64 4 894 0745
