Ngā mihi o te Tau Hou - Happy New Year
It has been a busy year for public access to the outdoors. We wish a happy holiday season to everyone who has worked with us, followed us on our journeys or supported us during the year. The commission will be closed from 23 December 2019 to 5 January 2020.
New digital maps help people explore the outdoorsThe Commission has updated its powerful public geospatial mapping system. It is one of the biggest, most comprehensive mapping systems in NZ. |
Nearly fifty new wheelchair and pram walks on Find My AdventureOver recent months we have been adding wheelchair- and pram-accessible tracks, such as the Pukeiti Valley of the Giants Walk in Taranaki, to our Find My Adventure database. |
Don Cameron is new chair of Walking Access CommissionRuapehu District Mayor Don Cameron has been appointed as the new chair of the Walking Access Commission. |
Farewelling John ForbesLast month the Commission farewelled retiring board chair John Forbes. John's mana and calm good-will helped remove tension about access to private rural land. |
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) has published a report on the environmental consequences of projected tourism growth, Pristine, popular... imperilled?
Our report last year on the South Island High Country told similar stories of pressure. Many landowners noted that there was a real risk of local communities withdrawing the social license for tourism because they weren’t equipped to deal with the environmental pressures. For instance, Roy’s Peak in Wanaka now has over 80,000 visitors a year, but carparking space for only 100 at a time. The environmental pressure on that one small spot is immense.
