Frustrations over land use abuse
As backyard tourism draws more people than ever into the hills, access to some wild environments is becoming more restricted as landowners get frustrated with abuses.
Trampers and hunters have long enjoyed the privilege of getting into the forest parks in the Tararua and Ruahine ranges in the lower North Island by passing over private land, but goodwill was drying up.
Dan Tuohy, of the Department of Conservation’s Palmerston North office, said there were three places in the northwestern Ruahines where people used to be allowed over private land but were now restricted.
‘‘Some of our agreed access has been through word of mouth or through the goodwill of the farmers.
‘‘For 95 per cent of people, they respect that. That five per cent don’t even care and see it as their God-given right to have access into this forest park.
‘‘They have to understand, we have negotiated that access where we can and most of the time it is by the goodwill of the farmer because he doesn’t want his farming operations being interfered with because that’s his livelihood.’’
Three access points in the northern Ruahine Range had been closed or restricted in recent years including at Kawhatau, Mokai Patea and Purity to the north-west.
Outdoor recreation author Shaun Barnett said the Ruahine Forest Park was susceptible to access issues because of its shape and surroundings.
‘‘The Ruahine is peculiar in that it’s long and thin surrounded by farmland, and there’s usually quite a bit of farmland to get over.’’
Tramper Jean Garmin of Ruahine User Group does not blame landowners for
more restrictions and said the public needed to respect the conditions of access.
‘‘In the past, I don’t think that was too much of a problem because people had a better understanding and were a bit more respectful.
‘‘There was mostly just gentlemen’s agreements and that seemed to work fine.’’
She said changes of ownership of bush blocks, pushy members of the public and poaching had been cited by owners as reasons to withdraw access.
‘‘Sometimes people will almost demand access rather asking permission to cross what is this person’s property.’’
Garmin said she heard of a farmer being reported for animal welfare issues that turned out to be nothing unusual.
Wairarapa had its own access issues to the Tararua Forest Park.
One route through farmland that was closed off had become popularised by the promotion of a spot known as the Geographic Centre of New Zealand.
A farmer who had let people over his land for the 30 years had enough and closed the passage.
He was approached by Stuff, but did not want to speak publicly.