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The government has confirmed its controversial legislation to allow public access to waterways will not be tabled before the election.
Farmers have reacted angrily to the government's plans to negotiate access routes over farmland to significant waterways. They say such a law would infringe on their property rights.
Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton had hoped to introduce the legislation, which is currently being drafted, to parliament before the election. But a spokeswoman for Sutton says the bill will not be ready this term because it is "impossible to resolve the conflict" surrounding the issue in the time remaining.
"We are still committed to achieving free, practical, and certain access to the publicly owned rivers, lakes and beaches for all New Zealanders. However, because of complications around drafting, we are running out of time to initiate the parliamentary process to make this law," Sutton says.
Federated Farmers is counting the decision as a success of its Action Orange campaign.
Last Thursday Federated Farmers presented a 28,000 signature petition to parliament protesting against an erosion of their property rights.
Federated Farmers land access spokesman John Aspinall told the NZ Herald that the federation welcomed the chance to hold further talks and to proceed on some issues over which there was a mutual agreement.
Sutton says if Labour is re-elected it will pursue its bid to open up waterways to the public but will consult further on the issue.
"Government is now embarking on a further round of consultation among major stakeholders in search of greater consensus on a way forward in enhancing public access. We are confident that sufficient goodwill exists to make this possible," Sutton says.
Consultation has already been extensive.
In 2002 Sutton set up a ministerial group chaired by former Meat Board Chair John Acland. The group toured the country holding meetings and considered more than 1,000 submissions.
Opposition agriculture spokesman David Carter compared the government's backdown to successful farmer pressure on the so called fart tax in 2003, but Sutton says the government has not backed down.
