Thread: Kaimanawa Forest Park

Hi all
The land the road is currently on does belong to the crown due to been taken under the Public Works Act in 1969 for electricity generation, however section 48 of the PWA allows the crown to also further that use if they please. That could be public access along the road, however it would also mean that LINZ the controlling authority would have to also permit the construction of a gate and closing the access. As the road corridor is drawn there is no room for parking along it, and the current area used for parking and access to the Waipakihi River is definitely on private land, so I am sure a solution can be found. Megan from FMC has this information and is currently in discussion with the Trust so I think it would be timely to let her approaches be made and see where to from there.

As to parking; Waipakihi road is a nominal 25 meters wide. I'd imagine development of rudimentary parking would not be a problem.

Where is DOC and their statutory responsibility to foster outdoor recreation and the public use of the conservation estate?

Originally Posted by Ross Nolan

Where is DOC and their statutory responsibility to foster outdoor recreation and the public use of the conservation estate?

They’re in Wellington CBD politburo with their heads up some dark places

Originally Posted by Ross Nolan

Where is DOC and their statutory responsibility to foster outdoor recreation and the public use of the conservation estate?

When the NZFS became DOC back in 1st April 1987 the original name was The Department of Conservation and Recreation.
......That name lasted about 7 months... The Green fairies sprinkled their fairy dust over the name and it dropped the 'Recreation' bit.

DOC don't seem to gaf if you refer back to page 10 where they replied to @Tahr s email. They confirmed the roads will be closing.

Don't forget the same DoC outfit got caught out hiring PD firm to spy on citizens not so long ago.

DOC havent put up much of a fight for this access. Some of the trustees insitu could be a bit grumpy after past dealings with DOC.

The gates in and currently bolted back to a concrete block.

Saw this on Facebook yesterday.

Thanks for that @Nick.m

Looking at the wording of that FMC post I get the feeling they have become woke like most all entities (OK, I've said it!). The more principled position would be to treat the public's right to access public land along public roads as sacrosanct. The access is not across private land, its BETWEEN parcels of private land. There is ample evidence the road is public land. Unseemly behaviour? Welcome to the real world. If blocking off access to legal road ends was to solve the issue of "unseemly behaviour" then every single roadend in NZ would be blocked off by now.

The Trust is grumpy with DOC re past dealings?? Not the Public's problem.

Yes, the land for Waipakahi road was taken under the Public Work act for construction of the Tongariro Power Project... guess what, plenty of New Zealand farmers, land owners, home owners etc have had their land taken by the Public works act (or equivalent). No ones crying them a river.

This has all the makings of a very slippery slope...

I’m not convinced the road is public.
But either way I think the best option is to start friendly negotiations for access.

The last resort is to get DOC to close the first kilometre or so of the road that is on conservation land, so no one can access the rest of it. Ok

Originally Posted by Cigar

I’m not convinced the road is public.
But either way I think the best option is to start friendly negotiations for access.

The last resort is to get DOC to close the first kilometre or so of the road that is on conservation land, so no one can access the rest of it. Ok

The point at issue is that the road is not owned by the trust.
They have as much right to block it as I do the road outside my house.

That is, none.

Still nothing from the Maori Land Court. I'm sure they are busy with important matters though, and continue to hope that an answer will be forthcoming in due course.

Originally Posted by Ross Nolan

The point at issue is that the road is not owned by the trust.

I'm not convinced of exactly that point. At this stage I have seen no actual evidence that the trust does not own the land the road is on.

FMC have posted on FB that they and other groups are talking with the trust about access.

I'm posting this so that members can appreciate better the road coverage. It is essentially the same width it's entire length.
I am as appalled as any environmentally minded hunter when coming across rubbish and general debris, but this is an issue for the local governing authority who administer roads in their ward. Any trash and their leavings I have seen in my decades using Waipakihi road has been within the bounds of the road, therefore the responsibility of that organisation.