NZ Walking Access Bill - It WILL affect motorcycling

[tri boy]

There's the point. Many "paper roads" have no legal status whatsoever. They may appear on a map, but the land owner on whose property they are drawn, has clear legal title to them. People wanting access have their eyes light up when they spy such things, but land owners believe that people are trespassing when others attempt to use them. Farmers don't want dickhead townies having unfettered access to various parts of their properties, such as lambing paddocks, at certain times of the year, leaving gates open, parading unrestrained dogs and children, etc.

Your replys seem to becoming quite emotive of late Hitcher.
"Dickhead Townies"?????
I see your point of some paper roads having no legal title, (but many have, and need to be acknowledged properly/legally).
God forbid only walkers being able to access the coast/streams. Who wants to carry fishing/hunting gear 20km's to a public zone, because of another labour social ruling.
Your point re gates and lambing are valid, and signs/legal timetables can be used to close certain tracks at set times of the year. Verbal requests notifying farmers/land owners of your plans work for both sides, and a sign in/out book is also a good idea. But we need to keep these tracks open to the general interest groups. If this Bill can do this, without denying groups at the expense of others then I will say it is good. If it restricts honest kiwi's from traveling legally then I will weep in dispair.

[cooneyr]

Not that simple. LINZ, Transit and local authorities all maintain various forms of incomplete references.

The best option is generally to ask permission to the land owner concerned. Most are reasonable folk and are usually positively disposed to reasonable requests.

Agreed about the asking thing - even if there is a legal paper road I'd be asking, but I figure I've got more chance if I at least know I'm "legally" entitled to go there. I'm actually quite keen to ride the whole of the summit road as Merv has talked about doing back in the "old days". Bit un-PC (hate that sentiment) for todays world to head up there on a bike but if I'm allowed I'm allowed (obviously do it with respect for the land and others though).

Cheers R

[MSTRS:Me]

The name of the bill suggests that there is a move to restrict vehicular access, whilst allowing (increased?) foot traffic. ...

Well kind of, but not quite. The issue is that we already have free walking (& motorcycling, mountainbiking & 4wdriving) access down any paper road. The bill aims to improve public access by replacing these rights with walking access only, & even that may be subject to restrictions, so I'm failing to see the improvement.

Just what I said...

If it restricts honest kiwi's from traveling legally then I will weep in dispair.

If you are not prepared to walk, then get your hanky ready...

[clint640]

There's the point. Many "paper roads" have no legal status whatsoever. They may appear on a map, but the land owner on whose property they are drawn, has clear legal title to them.

The 'paper roads' that we're referring to here are legally surveyed road reserves, not any old road marked on a map, which you're dead right about, one should never assume access is a right as many roads shown on maps aren't legal access at all.

However given that most maps are drawn up using council/LINZ data quite a few of the 'paper roads' of your definition are actually legal roads too.

Cheers
Clint

[cooneyr]

The 'paper roads' that we're referring to here are legally surveyed road reserves, not any old road marked on a map, which you're dead right about, one should never assume access is a right as many roads shown on maps aren't legal access at all.

However given that most maps are drawn up using council/LINZ data quite a few of the 'paper roads' of your definition are actually legal roads too.

Cheers
Clint

Yer but how do we know for sure. Look at the examples I provided in this post. They are on Google Maps/Earth (which you would assume uses LINZ data) and are also on the Ecan (Canty Regional Council) public view GIS website. This strongly implies that they are still public roads where as there are a number of lots (properties) that look very very much like they use to be roads but are no longer roads on the afore mentioned websites.

I'm guessing the best way to actually find out is to check who "owns" the land (by this I mean the District or City Council that "owns" it on our behalf) and then you would need to check with the Council its status i.e. road reserve, or some other type of reserve.

An example of a "road" being another type of reserve is the Bridal Path between the Summit Road and Lyttelton. It is a "road" on both Google Maps and the Ecan Site but according to the Chch council it is a historic reserve.

This all makes it very difficult for us plebes and cant make life any easier for landowners when somebody gets a whif of a paper road and goes foir a looksee. My personal feeling though is that at the moment because of the difficulty of finding out the status of the "paper roads" the landowners have the upper hand which is unfair seeing as they are getting free use of the land anyway (its not theirs so they dont pay any rates on it).

Cheers R