Outdoor Recreational Groups Support In Principal The Government’s Key Foreshore And Seabed Proposals

The biggest meeting of conservation, outdoor recreation and environment organisations since the Manapouri campaign met in Wellington today.

This meeting was made up of groups representing over a million New Zealanders who participate in outdoor recreations. The Deputy Prime Minister, Michael Cullen, and Associate Minister of Maori Affairs, John Tamihere, and key officials met with the group to provide a briefing on the Government’s proposals and discuss issues.

The 12 organisations agreed to generally support the Government’s four principles to solve the foreshore and seabed issue.

“The Ministers listened to our concerns about the poor consultation to date with our sector and they have undertaken to increase their level of consultation with us. The meeting with the Ministers was positive and constructive.”

“We worked through the concept of ‘public domain’ and made suggestions to the Government that would strengthen the recreation and conservation interest. The Ministers described these suggestions as ‘very helpful’ and undertook to study them.”

While the group broadly supported the “four principles”, the consensus view was that “the devil will be in the details.” The group agreed to monitor and closely engage with Government in the development of the policy and procedural detail, which emerges from the Government’s consultation process.

The feeling from the group was that it was a very worthwhile exchange of views with a great congruency of opinion, and it had been very successful. It may be followed by further meetings of conservation, outdoor recreation and environment organisations. Participants undertook to work closely together as the foreshore and seabed issue develops.

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