NZWAC Annual Report released

Published 15 December 2016

The New Zealand Walking Access Commission’s Annual Report 2015-2016 is now available online. This report documents the Commission’s performance for the year.

Highlights for 2015-2016 included:

The Commission gazetted five new walkways for use by the New Zealand public.

The Commission facilitated the creation or retention of 43 access opportunities around the country.

The Commission helped resolve 24 access disputes. These included obstructions to access on unformed legal roads, as well as conflicts relating to misconceptions about the extent of landowner responsibilities towards visitors accessing their property.

The Commission helped fund 10 walking access projects through its Enhanced Access Fund, bringing to 83 the number of projects that have been awarded funding since 2010.

The Commission released an upgraded version of its Walking Access Mapping System (WAMS) which makes it easier for people to identify public access in the outdoors. In 2015-2016, an estimated 60,000 people visited WAMS, up from 48,759 in the previous year.

The Commission created a Follow the Kiwi Way website to promote the Outdoor Access Code. The aim of the site is to promote a culture of respect and consideration for the outdoors by providing clear guidelines.

The Commission added new content including videos and teacher resources to the Both Sides of the Fence education website, which was visited by 5,823 Kiwi students and teachers over 2015-2016.

Read the full report online