Asking nicely
Published Jun 21, 2018, 12:02 PM
Find out why you should always ask permission before wandering onto private land – and the right and wrong ways to go about it.
Knowledge Base
We have information about accessing the outdoors responsibly - including roads and walkways, rivers and lakes, and private land. We also have information on using our GIS maps, creating new access, private land and what to do when there is a dispute.
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Unformed Legal Roads
Published Feb 20, 2018, 9:32 PM
People are often unsure about the legal status of unformed legal roads, colloquially known as paper roads.
The Outdoor Access Code
Published Jul 10, 2018, 10:14 AM
The Outdoor Access Code is a Commission publication, which sets out the rights and responsibilities of recreational users and landholders.
Can a landholder stop me using an unformed legal road?
Published Jul 10, 2018, 11:45 AM
No. Landholders do not have the right to refuse access over adjoining public land. This includes unformed legal roads.
What forms of legal access across private land are available?
Published Jul 10, 2018, 11:49 AM
There is no general right of public access across private land. Owners of private land have the right of exclusive occupation and enjoyment of that land.
What is a marginal strip?
Published Jul 10, 2018, 12:02 PM
Marginal strips are strips of land adjoining the coast, lakes larger than eight hectares in area, and rivers greater than three metres in width.
What are esplanade reserves, esplanade strips and access strips?
Published Jul 10, 2018, 12:05 PM
These are different legal mechanisms involving access, but there may be restrictions on their use. Check with the relevant territorial authority.
Enhanced Access Grants
Published Jul 13, 2018, 1:42 PM
The Commission administers a contestable fund to support projects that enhance access to the outdoors. This fund is known as the Enhanced Access Fund.
What are the obligations of farm owners and managers towards recreational visitors to their farms?
Published Aug 8, 2018, 11:44 AM
The law enables farmers to grant access to recreational visitors, as they have done for generations. They are still obliged to warn visitors of risks that they wouldn’t normally expect on a farm.
What is the situation if a visitor is paying for the access, either to the farmer or to a trip organiser?
Published Aug 8, 2018, 11:51 AM
If a landholder is charging a fee for access, an activity that might have been purely recreational (e.g. access to a fishing spot) becomes a workplace activity.