Frequently asked questions

The Government has considered the panel's recommendations and has asked officials to provide a response, looking at the implications of implementation. It has noted that the panel has reported in accordance with its Terms of Reference and agreed to the public release of the report.

No, the panel operated independently from ministers and reached its own conclusions based on the extensive consultations it carried out.

No, the panel was asked to consult with interest groups and attempt to reach a consensus on walking access issues. Some recent media reports suggest the Government is poised to dump plans for a Queens Chain across New Zealand's back-country – there have never been any such plans.

Its position was clearly signalled in the confidence and supply agreement with Coalition partners United Future and New Zealand First.

Labour's 2005 policy on Rural Affairs states it will: "Conduct further consultation on the proposals to achieve practical and secure access along coasts, significant rivers and lakes and other publicly owned conservation areas, while at the same time respecting the interests of property owners.

The government considers walking access to the "great outdoors" to be a significant social and cultural issue of concern to many New Zealanders and is committed to seeing the confusion around access removed.

No. The panel members have a wide variety of relevant backgrounds.

Unformed legal roads, often referred to as "paper roads" are already open to the public. The supplementary research paper on unformed legal roads explores this issue in detail. The panel has made recommendations about the use of unformed legal roads, and these will be considered by the Government.

Previous consultation found that the there is a lack of clarity about existence and location of access rights, and a gap between the expectations and the understanding of those seeking walking access and those of landholders.

Not over existing access rights such as unformed legal roads. The panel has recommended that access over private land should be by negotiation and agreement.

No. Although the ownership of these resources does not generally attach to land title under New Zealand law, there is no legal right to cross private land to access them.

Yes. The panel is aware that legal differences between some types of Maori land and general title land mean that access arrangements require careful consideration.

The Queen's Chain is a term used to cover a range of different access rights, and these rights do not cover all rivers, lakes and the coast. There are gaps in access and the location of the access is often uncertain.

The panel believes that compensation may be appropriate in some cases. It has recommended the establishment of a contestable fund, to help pay for signage and the negotiation of new access.

Media speculation about the creation of a "travelling" access organisation is not accurate. The panel has recommended the establishment of a new access organisation. The organisation would have a national governance board and a structure that reflects the need to carry out work at a local level. It would not, however, be a travelling organisation.