Organisations and outdoor enthusiasts from across the Otago region attended the New Zealand Walking Access Commission’s regional forum in Dunedin on Monday.

The forum was a chance for those interested in public access to hear about the Commission’s work and to share their views and questions on issues in their region.

Walking Access Commission Chief Executive Mark Neeson said the 25 attendees at the forum took part in an open discussion on topics including the Commission’s dispute-resolution process and its Walking Access Mapping System, which marks land across New Zealand that is open to public access.

The Commission’s signage projects with Federated Farmers New Zealand and Rural Women New Zealand were also discussed. The two projects provide signs to landholders who want to clearly identify the conditions of voluntary access they have granted across their land to nearby rivers, forests or sites of interest.

“Dunedin groups have been heavily involved in the walking access debates over the past decade and it was pleasing to again see a good turnout of people willing to hear and share views,” Mr Neeson said.

David Barnes, who represented the Otago Tramping & Mountaineering Club and Federated Mountain Clubs at the forum, said the event provided a good opportunity for recreationalists to put their views to the Commission’s board members and staff.

He had been particularly interested in discussing protection of unformed legal roads, which often grant access to rivers and public land that would otherwise be impractical to access without permission from a private landowner.

“On the legal road issue, which has been really important in the Dunedin area over the years, some seasoned campaigners were pleased to hear staff talking about secure access.  The Commission said it would negotiate for alternative access where it wasn’t feasible to use an unformed legal road but would ensure that the road remained. This is something we’ve been saying for years, so to have a government agency saying it for us, and with us, is great. I also felt that staff were keen to take on board ideas to enhance the Walking Access Mapping System.”