Walking access principles
Walking at Wangapeka
The NZCA has developed 'bottom line' principles that should apply to arrangements for public walking access.
- Public walking access to publicly-owned areas and resources should be protected in law and enhanced where there is no current access provision.
- Enduring access arrangements are needed that are acceptable to both landholders and the public in cases where practical access to public conservation land is over privately-occupied land.
- Where legal public access routes (such as unformed public roads) connect with public conservation land, waterways or the coast, they should be signposted to facilitate public access.
- Where there are public access ways across privately-occupied land, reasonable conditions may be placed on public use.
- There can be no expectation of economic return to private landholders from the existence of public resources on or next to privately-occupied land.
- Private economic return to landholders from public resources on or next to privately-occupied land, can be derived from the provision of added value, such as interpretation, facilities or refreshments, but these should not be a condition of access.
- Existing access law should be implemented by public agencies. This includes, but is not limited to, territorial authorities' duty to take action against obstructions on public roads.
- The public should be provided with information about their access rights.
- As well as legal recognition, the provision of access needs to be assured in terms of practical, physical accessibility on the ground.
- Existing marginal strips and esplanade reserves/strips need to be preserved for the benefit of all New Zealanders. Existing provisions within the Conservation Act and Resource Management Act need to be fully utilised, and in some cases strengthened, to extend and secure public access to the coast and waterways, including plugging gaps in the existing network. Waivers to the provision of esplanade reserves/strips and marginal strips should only occur in exceptional circumstances. Wherever possible, public access ways alongside waterways and the coast should be ambulatory (move with the waterway/coastline).
15 April 2006
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