The government is poised to back down on an election promise
guaranteeing public access to rivers, lakes and conservation
land.
Farmers were outraged by the Queen's Chain proposal and now they
appear to have won.
The issue has had farmers fired up for a while.
"They had grave fears about public access legislated by government over their farms," Charlie Pedersen of Federated Farmers says.
After widespread protests, plans for an extended Queen's Chain along rivers and around lakes were put on hold while a panel looked at the issue of public access over private land.
The panel's report goes to Cabinet on Monday. It is understood plans to extend the Queen's Chain have been abandoned and it is recommending access issues be sorted out by negotiation on a case-by-case basis.
"This is looking like a total back down," National Party rural
spokesperson David Carter says. "Labour started this process
about two or three years ago with complete ignorance of private
property rights and it looks like after months and months of
consultation, a common sense solution will be resolved."
A common sense solution which would please farmers.
"There should always been open negotiation with the farmer and the panel or whatever group is being set up," Pedersen says.
He says most access issues are sorted out amicably, but whatever government decides farmers should have the say.
"We believe a farmer should have the right to say no at any time, and it should be matter of open negotiation between farmer and the person wanting access, and 90% of the time access is granted," he says.
But groups fighting for more public access say it appears the crucial issue has not been resolved.
"If we have a block in those areas where public cannot get access because of some hard nose attitude by a member of the rural community then we have a major problem, and I think that's one issue the government has to face up to," Alan McMillan of Public Access New Zealand says.
He says ideas like providing maps showing all public accessways would be welcome. "It's absolutely essential and I've been assured by the panel they'd be promoting that."
