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Act Review Panel needs to hear from you
Published 13 March 2019
Parliament’s review of the Walking Access Act is underway now and people will soon get to have their say on law that provides free, certain, enduring, and practical access to the outdoors.
The Ministry for Primary industries is reviewing the Act, as required ten years after it first became law. It has appointed an expert reference panel of Dr Hugh Logan, Leith Comer and Sandra Faulkner.
Walking Access Commission Chief Executive Ric Cullinane is encouraging anybody with an interest in outdoor recreation to get involved when public consultation takes place in May/June.
“Please have your say on what you think works, what doesn’t work and what needs improvement.”
Immediately after MPI launched the review, Ric Cullinane travelled to workshops in Hamilton, Wellington, and Queenstown to hear from some key stakeholders about the issues they wanted to see raised in the review. He says his strongest impression was a reminder that there is a high demand among New Zealanders for outdoor access and recreation.
“That includes more than walking. It is horse-riding, mountain bikes, e-bikes, dog walking…” says Cullinane.
“Getting into the outdoors is closely, intimately connected with the value people put on our biodiversity and on conservation. For New Zealanders, the two are mixed and linked together.”
The review panel will want to hear from members of the public during May and June 2019. Once it has finished consulting it will write a report to the Minister and Parliament, which will be complete in September 2019.
Page last updated: 14 December 2023