12. Hon DAVID CARTER (National) Link to this
to the Minister for Rural Affairs
Has the Walking Access Consultation Panel report been discussed at Cabinet, and when will the report be released to the public?
For how long has the Minister sat on this report, and why will he not release it immediately to the public of New Zealand and put our farming community at ease?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
The chairman of the panel presented the report to me just over a week ago. The farming community can rest assured that this report, I am sure, will be welcomed. It will also be welcomed by the recreational sector as well. It is a very sensible proposition.
Gordon CopelandDoes the Minister acknowledge that this Government has a responsibility to uphold its 1999 election manifesto pledge to complete the Queen’s Chain by securing access to the 30 percent of waterways and coast where the Queen’s Chain either does not exist or is misaligned; if so, is he concerned about rumours that the Walking Access Consultation Panel has backed down from making such a recommendation, in the wake of pressure from a minority of farming interests?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
I am not concerned about any rumours at all. The Queen’s Chain is something that New Zealanders have expected and upheld through the years. However, on close analysis, as that member should be very aware, one finds that the legal imposition of the Queen’s Chain is not as easy as one would think. The panel has, after extensive consultation and research, come up with some very wise recommendations on how to move forward.
So are the media reports correct that the report is a massive back-down for the Prime Minister on her original promise to ensure public access to our lakes, rivers, and coastline by forcing access over private land?
Does the report represent the unanimous view of all eight panel members; if not, who holds a dissenting view?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
I would encourage that member to hold his breath until the report is released.
Nathan GuyWill local government be expected to negotiate with landowners over messy paper road deals; will it be like so many other bits of legislation passed by the Labour Government where the ratepayer will bear the cost?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
No. The issue of paper roads, or unformed legal roads as is their proper title, is one that has been raised and thoroughly canvassed by the panel. There are some recommendations, again, to make some sensible progress on that difficult issue.
I seek leave to table Landcorp Farming Ltd’s statement of corporate intent for 2007, 2008, and 2009, and in particular its land management philosophies.
Madam SPEAKER