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& Game New Zealand welcomes the report released today as a good
start to completion of the Queen’s Chain.
“The report concludes that the aim is for
New Zealanders to have fair and reasonable access on foot to and
along the coastline and rivers, around lakes and to public land,”
said Neil Deans, Fish & Game New Zealand spokesperson. “The
high level principles that walking access should be ‘free,
certain, enduring and practical’ are strongly supported. The
recommendations to form an ‘Access Commission’, to map
and publish existing access rights, and to work through the more
difficult issues in due course are all important and positive steps
towards the completion of the Queens Chain, and are welcomed. The
Government and the Panel are to be congratulated for their recognition
that the maintenance and enhancement of public access to and along
lakes and rivers, to waters, wildlife and fisheries and to public
land is a matter of national importance.”
“The issues are complex and the Panel has
completed a comprehensive review and analysis of public access.
With a long-term objective of revitalizing traditional goodwill,
the report essentially promotes incremental, voluntary and negotiated
resolution of access issues.”
“It is clear that a voluntary approach
based on developing goodwill is sensible and desirable, has worked
in many cases, and is certainly the preferred option. However, where
public access is unreasonably denied, there must be mechanisms that
ensure a fair, reasonable and enduring solution, according to the
principles stated in the report.
“The Panel’s report still has some
way to go, however, to align its recommendations with the high principles
that the Panel itself identified. The report accepts that ‘Landholders
should not unreasonably deny access to public natural resources
and public lands.’ A purely voluntary response by landowners,
however, may not be sufficient to ensure completion of the Queen’s
Chain, which is both the Government’s stated policy and was
required of the Access Panel in making its recommendations. In cases
where landowners refuse to negotiate, there must be some way to
reasonably resolve the public and private property rights. The Government
needs to provide for a mechanism to make this happen, if necessary.
“The report is a good start, and Fish &
Game New Zealand urges the Government to maintain the momentum and
address those situations where landowners might consider unreasonably
denying public access to public land or resources.”
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