Clause for Free Beach Access Removed

Foreshore and Marine Areas: Government Removes Clause for Free Beach Access

"The National Government has removed the clause from their new foreshore and seabed bill that guarantees free public access over iwi-controlled areas", Dr Hugh Barr, Spokesman for the Coastal Caolition said today. "This is a gross breach of promised public access rights".

"The present 2004 Foreshore and Seabed law is very clear - it guarantees all New Zealanders free access to all areas of the Crown-owned foreshore and seabed. The bill specifically prohibits Maori rights holders from being able to charge the public an access fee on areas that they control. It is written in black and white in clause 40 (b) of the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 and states:

Neither the guardians of a foreshore and seabed reserve nor the applicant group nor the board is entitled to charge or collect fees or other form of payment from any person or body for the use or occupation of the reserve.

The foreshore and seabed reserve was the 2004 Act's equivalent of customary marine title in the 2010 Bill.
"However, in the proposed new law, while many provisions have been carried over from the 2004 Act, this prohition on charging a fee for access over customary marine title has been dropped.

In spite of claims by Prime Minister John Key and Attorney General Christopher Finlayson that "free" public access is guaranteed over customary title in the new bill, National has not carried through the 2004 Act's strong prohibition on charging into the new law.

While regulation-making powers are available to the Minister of Conservation, that is not the same as prohibiting the charging of a fee in the legislation - as the Labour Government did in 2004 - to ensure there can be no confusion.

The reality is that the new bill represents a gross confiscation of public property rights associated with New Zealand's iconic and priceless coastline, by the National Party and the Maori Party. They want to transfer these rights to corporate iwi so they can make money from them. Being able to charge for access to parts of the coastline is obviously part of their masterplan - otherwise why else would they leave the prohition on charging out of the bill?" Dr Barr said.

ENDS