Farmers Favour Access Bill

Federated Farmers says it generally supports the Walking Access Bill currently before parliament, and says it’s particularly happy with the intent of the legislation not to interfere with property rights of land owners.

Its spokesperson on access over farmland, and Federation Board member, Bruce McNab told a parliamentary select committee that the provision in the Bill for public access to remain subject to negotiation and agreement with the individual landowner is very important to farmers. He says without this provision the federation would have opposed the legislation.

He says the Federation has already invested a considerable amount of money in signage to be placed on farms to assist people requiring access. He says a significant number of farmers are happy for the public to have access to their land and says that the Federation just wants legislation which, from the outset will be practical and effective.

“ But the Federation does have concerns about the lack of provisions in the Bill on the vexed issue of ‘paper roads. We believe there could be a role for the newly created Commission to play a role in resolving issues on this subject. In the past, the public have been denied access to land because of inflexibility on the part of a local authority.”

We also have concerns about who is appointed as ‘enforcement officers’ to police the new requirements of the law. The Federation questions the notion that every Fish and Game ranger should automatically be made an enforcement officer. Some individual rangers may be fine, but we just want a process that employs the best qualified people, says Mr McNab.

Mr McNab says Federated Farmers wants a bill that will allow farmers to feel safe in their homes and to go about their daily life without any problems. If those wanting access to land respect these provisions, then there will be no problems he says.