Tenure Review and Access Submissions and Issues
Hunters Reaffirm Access Respect for Landowners
Public Access Back in the Spotlight: Time to Bite the Bullet
Public Access to New Zealand Outdoors
Soldiers Syndicate Pastoral Occupation Licence
Submission to Land Reference Group Re: Public Access
The Firearm User and Trespass Law
Go Back to Main Submissions Page
NZDA is the only national body of recreational deerstalkers and other big game hunters. We have 57 branches and, as well, a number of hunting clubs throughout New Zealand. We have 7200 members, and have been actively advocating for deerstalking and recreational hunting, and running training courses, trips, conferences etc since 1937. NZDA also maintains ethical standards for hunting and for animal welfare for its members to abide by.
With the Government pressuring all lease holders to take part in Tenure Reviews, we have seen an increase in activity in this area. At times we have had to be satisfied with submitting a "form letter" type response, as there was little first hand knowledge of the areas being discussed, or the notice to us was short. There is one area we are pushing hard, and that is the area of access.
NZDA has pointed out to DoC and LINZ that if they are willing to maintain road access for "maintenance activities" then why on earth can't they maintain them for hunting access. This was in response to DoC complaining of "difficulties" in letting hunters traverse land with firearms and dogs.
It is an obvious answer that they (DoC) have acknowledged as an ideal fix. The question remains, when are they going to action it. It is becoming very obvious to us that hunting in not a favoured activity with DoC, particularly DoC HQ.
The association has also raised concerns that the result of these reviews is putting some very valuable land, valuable in monetary terms and in terms of access across the new private estate, at risk of being sold to the highest (Foreign) bidder. Examples include exchanging lake foreshore for mountainous country, that is, the lake property is currently Crown owned and is intended to exchange for privately owned high country blocks in the same lease. This has been acknowledged also, again with no obvious change. It is imperative that we, as National Executive get as much information as we possibly can about impending reviews. We can now get an alert via internet, but what we need is any local knowledge about these as we can. this is where an active membership can be of help. We can advertise the review, but we need you to give us any pertinent information.
NZDA is interested in public access to public land and resources for recreational hunting of big game species especially deer, tahr, chamois and wild pigs. Without adequate public access for hunters, the potential of recreational hunting to assist in managing deer and wild pig numbers is significantly reduced.
Recreational hunters take the majority of the natural increase in deer and wild pig numbers each year. NZDA’s members also often hunt small game eg rabbits, possums, etc. Consequently, access to Public Conservation Lands (PCL) that allows carriage of disarmed safe recreational firearm, and/or dog(s) is essential.
Walkways specifically exclude recreational hunters. None of the 200 or so walkways in NZ allows either carriage of disarmed recreational firearms or accompaniment by a dog or dogs. Recreational big game and small game hunting is a legitimate recreational activity with a 150 year history in New Zealand. In 1988, the last time recreational hunters in New Zealand were adequately surveyed; there were just under 100,000 recreational hunters. Details of this Survey and the numbers recreational hunters are given in Section 4 of this submission, below.
Most people accessing the outdoors, including recreational hunters, use vehicles, usually cars and 4WD vehicles or trail bikes. These are not provided for in this Bill. NZDA considers the narrowness of this Bill to primarily catering only for walking access for walkers without a dog or recreational firearms, is short-sighted.
This submission is made on behalf of the New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association Incorporated (NZDA). NZDA is the national body of recreational deerstalkers and other big game hunters. We have 52 branches and a number of hunting clubs throughout New Zealand. We have 7200 members, and have been actively advocating for deerstalking and hunting, especially on public lands. We have been running training courses, trips, conferences etc since 1937.
Under the Crown Pastoral Lands Act any Pastoral Occupation Licence (POL) has no right of renewal. This licence expired in 2003. It has been renewed on a year by year basis to 31 December 2007. As un-leased Crown land this POL is dealt with under Part 3 of the Crown Pastoral Lands Act. It is high remote land with very high landscape, remote recreational and botanic values, some 4WD accessibility, and a significant recreational hunting interest for pigs, Red deer, and Chuckar. It is of low grazing value and is considered fragile, having never been considered as a pastoral lease since the 1948 Land Act was introduced. DOC recommends it as an addition to the Hawkdun-Oteake Conservation Park.
National president Trevor Dyke said the wording of the access clause of the code of ethics said "a member of the New Zealand Deerstalkers' Association will be expected to not hunt or carry a firearm on property without the proper approval of the owner, occupier or controlling authority and shall strictly observe any conditions imposed."
"We expect members to respect landowner's property rights. We reject the idea of a right-to-roam and have always adopted this attitude," he said.
NZ Deerstalkers' Association (NZDA) is very interested in places and access types where access with a firearm or bow and a dog is allowed eg public roads, marginal strips, public conservation land with a Department of Conservation (DOC) hunting permit. All users of the outdoors can and should be catered for. They all have rights of access which should be recognised and protected. NZDA wants to see everyone's public access rights, not just people on foot, recognised in the recommendations from this lengthy exercise.
It is very apparent that a Public Access Commission is essential, with funding is needed. Government agencies need to be held to account for their responsibilities. And working together for better access and addressing public access issues is badly needed. However, in spite of this being in the Terms of Reference, the Access Commission is only mentioned in passing via a narrow question from the Panel. Consequently if the exercise is to go anywhere, the recreational public must turn out to promote other more effective options, and broaden the discussion.
The Labour government was returned at the election. As a consequence, the Acland Walking Access Consultation Panel now has a role to play. Labour's Access initiative would have vanished for ever if they had lost the election.
The NZDA supports all legislation that will enhance and improve access to conservation lands for the enjoyment and the physical well being of not only of its members, but to the whole general public of New Zealand. Legislation must be enacted urgently as there is an increasing rate of our land becoming alienated by foreign purchase and being closed off.
The New Zealand Deerstalkers' Association Inc understands that the task assigned to the Acland Access Committee was to explore the many aspects of access to the country side, to identify problems associated with the laws governing access and to propose solutions to the problems that discourage or prevent reasonable access by the public to the highly valued aesthetic and recreational assets of New Zealand's lands, forests and waters.
NZDA instructs its members to ask permission, respect private property and conduct hunting, in ethical ways. The NZDA Code of Ethics embraces these points.
However there are cases where public "paper" roads and "Queens Chain" do exist. Particularly where these provide access to public lands they should be publicly indicated.
NZDA submits that paper public roads, Queens Chain right of ways should be defined and posted.