Kiwis urged to share code for responsible outdoor access

Kiwis urged to share code for responsible outdoor access

New Zealanders are being urged to ‘follow the Kiwi way’ when exploring the great outdoors with friends and family this summer.
New Zealand Walking Access Commission chief executive Mark Neeson said many rural communities faced increased pressure from people wanting to cross their land over the summer months and it was important those accessing rural environments did so responsibly.

“Over the summer, people take the opportunity to get out of the cities and explore the outdoors. This is a brilliant part of our culture, and the best way to protect it is by respecting the outdoor areas we love to visit.”
Mr Neeson said many visitors, whether from New Zealand or overseas, were keen to understand the best ways to access the outdoors responsibly, and if the basic rules made readily available in the New Zealand Outdoor Access Code were followed, this would help to preserve the relationship between visitors and landholders.

These rules include considering others when enjoying the outdoors, taking care when using firearms or lighting fires, and asking permission before crossing private land. People accessing private land with the permission of a landholder should make sure to leave gates as they are found and be careful not to unduly disturb or drive stock, Mr Neeson said.

“Most New Zealanders have a pretty good understanding of responsible behaviour in the outdoors. However with increasing migration and urbanisation, knowledge around how to access the outdoors responsibly is something we need to continue to share to ensure our way of life is maintained for future generations.”

Mr Neeson said research conducted by the Commission showed people were still passionate about enjoyment of the outdoors, but suggested a need to continue raising awareness of responsible behaviour to maintain links between urban and rural New Zealand.

The Walking Access Survey 2015, conducted by Colmar Brunton, found 88 per cent of New Zealanders agreed spending time in the outdoors was an important part of their lives and 95 per cent agreed free and easy access to the outdoors was important. Seventy per cent agreed most New Zealanders had a good understanding of how to behave in the outdoors.

The survey found most people (92 per cent) were granted access across private land when they asked. On occasions where landholders refused requests for permission, the main reasons were concerns about potential damage to their property or crops (59 per cent), safety of visitors (22 per cent) and a perception that some visitors seemed untrustworthy (21 per cent).

Mr Neeson said continuing to build trust between rural and urban New Zealand, and raising awareness of New Zealand’s outdoor-access heritage were vital. To support this, the New Zealand Walking Access Commission was working on a new website, called ‘Follow the Kiwi Way’, which would launch this summer, he said.

ENDS

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