Chance to fix Hunter access mistake

ANY suggestions of large amounts of money being paid to the owner of Hunter Valley Station for guaranteed public access through to a large part of the Hawea Conservation Area are repugnant.

Walking Access New Zealand has been working with the Department of Conservation and the Commissioner of Crown Lands on establishing access.

Much of the park is remote. Access to the upper Hunter is only possible at present for trampers or hunters with plenty of time taking difficult routes or with permission from the station.

The valley is described as the last major valley in the South Island to a conservation area that lacks public access. There was the opportunity to rectify this when the Crown leasehold station was sold to the former host of NBC The Today Show, Matt Lauer. He has since been sacked after sexual misconduct allegations.

Often, the Overseas Investment Office secures access as part of its approval. But in this case it accepted assurances ‘‘reasonable’’ access would be allowed. That was both naive and wrong. Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters and Land Information Minister Eugenie Sage have this week blamed National for allowing the sale without assured access. While their criticisms are correct, that is now history and the focus must be on correcting the blunder.

Fears remain farming operations and excuses on ‘‘health and safety’’ concerns will be used to prevent the public passing through the station. The record of the previous owners, the Cochrane family, who remain as farm managers, on Meads Rd was not encouraging. And there are plenty of examples — and not all exclusively from overseas owners — where access is prevented. It is better for easements to be clear and understood and rights of passage to be there as of right.

This is what is being planned for Hunter Valley Station, even if Mr Lauer is opposed. They are claiming large amounts of ‘‘compensation’’ could be payable if compulsory access is pushed through, and threats of going to court remain.

Sensibly, the proposed easement would not be an unfettered right, as Mr Lauer has claimed it would be. Instead, there is a balance. Access would be closed during lambing and calving and 4WD vehicles restricted. Their drivers would require permission through the Department of Conservation, a neutral party, rather than a station manager. There would be locked gates.

The route, at least the first part of it by the lake, is likely to be popular with mountain bikers. But 40km on a farm road will put off most hikers or tourists from going far into the station on foot.

The Land Act says the lessee would be entitled to compensation for any reduction in the value of the lease. But, it being a ‘‘pastoral’’ lease, the loss should be small.

Lawyer Graeme Todd, however, speaking for the station, argues ‘‘the value of the lease’’ should be understood in a wider way. Access of itself lowers the value of the property and hundreds of thousands of dollars would be owed.

In any event, he said public access has been granted on numerous occasions. Walking Access Commission chief executive Eric Pyle, though, has said his understanding of access had not been so favourable.

Taxpayers have already, in effect, lost tens of millions of dollars through tenure review of pastoral leases because taxpayer representatives were a pushover. Large parcels of lease Crown land have been retired or put into reserves and leaseholders have received prime lakeside and other real estate. This has been a massive bonanza for some former Crown pastoral leaseholders.

Fortunately, Hunter Valley Station is still Crown leasehold land. People should have the right to cross it, and without the taxpayers forking out a fortune in ‘‘compensation’’ or being taken to court.

After all, there are several other high country properties with public access and the consequences have not been disastrous for the leaseholder.