High country land access under threat
Public access to private land could be under threat from the sheer weight of tourist numbers and the growing impact of bad behaviour.
The issues are outlined in South Island High Country Walking Access, a report from the NZ Walking Access Commission Ara Hı¯koi Aotearoa, the crown agency responsible for public access to the outdoors across private properties and multiple tenure land owned by the Government and local authorities.
Commission chief executive Eric Pyle said it wrote the report after hearing about the risk of access to private property being lost because of pressure from visitor numbers.
The internet was found to be having a major impact with a single viral Instagram post or YouTube video resulting in thousands flooding places previously only known to locals.
Lack of control over numbers was making landlords warier about opening up new access points because hosting hordes of visitors could have a major affect on farming operations.
In one case a popular walkway went from attracting 30,000 people a year to between 70,000 and 100,000.
Pyle said some landowners had already withdrawn access but declined to elaborate on numbers.
‘‘It was enough for us to say there’s a potential problem here, to start a conversation with land holders to understand the nature of the problem and [see] what can be done about it.’’
The report said visitor growth meant farmers could subsidise bad years with income from trail accommodation and other tourist ventures.
But some areas struggled to cope with the upsurge and there was a need to clarify who should pay for infrastructure, such as toilets and car parking, and the cost of ‘‘less sexy’’ maintenance done by volunteers. ‘‘One farmer said they really didn’t want to look behind the bushes on parts of their farm because there weren’t enough toilets,’’ said Pyle.
‘‘Landholders are having to pick up rubbish, it’s all stuff that’s not part of the deal from their perspective, and I think it’s valid.
‘‘They acknowledge they live in a tremendous place, and they want to share it because it’s a fantastic part of the world, but they want to share it in a way that everybody benefits from.’’
As well as walkers, trampers, hunters, horse trekkers, anglers and mountain bikers all wanted access.
Some farmers had banned anglers from crossing their properties due to what they perceived as Fish and Game’s negative stereotyping of farmers, and if that continued it could result in significant loss of fishing spots across the region.
Farmers worried about confronting hunters on their properties without permission, and the increase in mountain bikers was difficult to manage.
‘‘It’s more them coming hurtling down a hill when a farmer is rounding up a mob of sheep.’’
Horse trekkers had complained that most new cycleways were built to a standard that ruled out horse riding, even in areas horses had used for some time.
Pyle said there was also a need for a central database where visitors could identify suitable walks so they did not put themselves at risk through inadequate clothing or insufficient fitness.
Submissions on the commission’s report will close on Tuesday.