Federated Mountain Clubs AGM - Sandra Lee Speech
Hon Sandra Lee Speech Notes
Keynote Address To The
Federated Mountain Clubs Annual General Meeting 9 June 2001
Conference Centre, Teachers' College, Mt Eden, Auckland
Thank you for the invitation to speak
today.
Last week, I spent an enjoyable evening with
mountaineers, trampers, forest-conservationists and others
as we celebrated the announcement that the 130,000 hectares
of Timberlands West Coast native forests are to be
re-allocated to the Department of Conservation.
I wish
to publicly thank Federated Mountain Clubs for your support
for the government decision.
I think FMC plays an
important role as a respected advocate for the safe use of
the backcountry, and in promoting its preservation and sound
management.
You can be assured that when FMC says
something, this government listens carefully.
As you are
aware, through the Department of Conservation, I am
responsible for the management of 14 National Parks, three
world heritage areas, dozens of forests, maritime and farm
parks.
I am also responsible for several thousand
reserves including scenic and historic reserves, and a
disproportionately small number of marine reserves.
A
market survey found recently that more than one-third of
adults have stayed in a Department of Conservation hut
and/or camped in a Department managed area at some stage.
About one in ten has done so in the last 12 months.
In a similar vein, it was found that more than
two-thirds of adults have visited a Department visitor
centre and/or been on a short walk in a Department managed
area, and one third has done so in the last 12 months.
Furthermore, the numbers using campsites, short walks,
and tramping tracks are likely to grow significantly.
Demands on visitor information services are also likely to
increase.
There are some key issues that I plan to address
related to DOC's continued provision of campsites, short
walks and tramping tracks.
Many Department facilities
are run down, and need to be either replaced or removed
altogether. In some instances, existing facilities are not
in the most ideal location to meet the needs of today¡¦s
visitors.
I do not apologise for having to comply with
the Health Act and Building Act in terms of the legal
standard of DOC facilities.
These are mandatory
standards for huts, structures, and campsites.
They are
non-negotiable ¡V but we can still discuss what people
believe is a reasonable standard of service.
I want to
thank FMC for the part you have played in helping DOC
develop its service standards for both huts and tracks.
I
am aware that there are people who believe the backcountry
should be free of facilities, in order to retain the
backcountry in as close to its natural state as possible.
There are others who have overly high expectations and
demand all the mod cons.
Getting the right mix is no
easy task.
I am, however, personally committed to
ensuring that my Department can provide a range of
recreation facilities that will meet users needs and be
sustainable in the long-term.
Despite the significant cost
of providing visitor facilities, the government has shown
its commitment to ensuring continued public access by
increasing the Department of Conservation¡¦s annual budget.
Improving the capacity of DOC is also one of many steps
being taken that will help this government deliver positive
conservation and recreational outcomes.
Last month I
announced that the government is to spend an additional $16
million over the next three years to manage and upgrade some
visitor facilities on conservation land.
Almost half of
this money will be spent on building huts and toilets and
that means expenditure of some $2.5 million in each of the
following three financial years.
For the 2001/2002
financial year, total funds for visitor management will $35
million (GST incl).
Because of this additional support,
more than 600-backcountry huts will be brought up to
standard and at least 30 huts will be replaced over the
period covered by the additional funding.
DOC has also
identified about 50 critical sites, mostly of very high
public use, where work on replacing or upgrading public
toilet facilities needs to be carried out within the next
year.
The new funding will ensure that the network of
backcountry huts and associated visitor facilities are
structurally sound, and that the public toilets are
functional and meet acceptable environmental standards.
While DOC is likely to experience demands for front country
tourism services, I am determined that this will not be at
the expense of the recreational needs of New Zealanders.
I believe that the backcountry will be the sanctuary
increasingly sought by New Zealanders and all user groups
deserve to be able to access facilities, that, while likely
to be modest, will nonetheless meet basic shelter needs as
society determines them.
I am disappointed to be advised
that some remote huts and shelters have fallen into such
disrepair that the only option now is for them to be
removed.
However I am also pleased that the 2001 Budget
allocation of new funding means that the deferred
maintenance needs of some visitor facilities on public
conservation land can now be addressed.
While this
occurs, an ongoing strategy for the sustainable management
of visitor facilities will be developed.
There are, of
course, issues around the extensive networks of roads and
tracks managed by my Department.
It is timely for me to
thank you, the members of the Federated Mountain Clubs, for
the work that you do voluntarily in maintaining huts through
out the country.
Without this effort many huts would
have long ago fallen into a state of disrepair so I thank
you for the tremendous effort that you continually provide
in this area.
I note that about 70 of the 1020 huts, in
the backcountry, are managed solely by clubs or jointly by
clubs with the Department.
I am pleased that you are
able to access a discounted rate for the annual hut passes
in recognition of the work that you do.
As you may be
aware, the Department is preparing a document identifying
options for managing recreational services and facilities on
conservation lands.
Despite a significant increase in
funding for the maintenance and development of visitor
services it is abundantly clear that tough decisions still
need to be made.
It is my intention to consult at a
national level with regard to the options available to me in
terms of the sustainable management of recreation
facilities.
This consultation will include discussions
with national representatives of non-governmental recreation
and conservation organisations, the New Zealand Conservation
Authority, the Tourism Board, and the Tourism Industry
Association. Feedback from this public consultation process
will shape the future direction of the long-term provision
of recreational facilities on public conservation lands.
The discussion document will be available for release to the
public in the near future.
It is also my intention to report back to Cabinet on the outcome of the public consultation process by November this year.
Other
matters that I have currently been progressing concern the
high country. I welcome the opportunity to create a
magnificent high country conservation park in the Canterbury
foothills of the Southern Alps.
This proposal, which is
now out for public consultation, will protect about 22,000
hectares of high country on Canterbury¡¦s Torlesse Range.
This has come about, in large part, through land acquisition
by the Nature Heritage Fund.
I am encouraged that
through tenure review and strategic land purchases, it is
likely that we will see the confirmation of more
conservation land and possibly new tussock grassland
conservation parks.
I hasten to note that inheritance
of large areas of this high country will also result in an
inheritance of more huts, roads, tracks, and of recreational
opportunities.
I also want to thank FMC for its role in
the tenure review process.
The FMC's survey reports,
prepared for each pastoral lease going through the tenure
review process, are invaluable.
I would like to be able
to announce more initiatives similar to the Torlesse Range,
and your input will help this.
The vast majority of the high country is pastoral leased land that covers about 2.5 million hectares.
This extensive tract of country is very important for indigenous biological diversity and contains many rare and threatened species and plant communities. There are also regionally significant opportunities for a wide range of outdoor recreational pursuits.
I am personally committed to ensuring that access issues are resolved. As New Zealanders, we should have access to public conservation lands for our enjoyment. These lands are part of our heritage and, in an increasingly globalised environment, it is only our culture and our heritage that will set us apart from the rest of the world.
Globalisation issues impact on us as a nation and
it is important that this government considers these matters
in a holistic way.
To this end, the recently released
New Zealand Tourism Strategy is a change in direction from
the situation under the previous Government.
For too
long it seems that tourism interests have outweighed
conservation interests.
The new Tourism strategy
recognises the importance of our environment and the fact
that the tourism industry is dependent on our clean green
image.
DOC¡¦s role in monitoring impacts on the
protected environment and in the maintenance and development
of recreational services and facilities on conservation
lands is reinforced in this strategy.
It is important
to address these impacts, given that the number of tourists
is likely to increase.
Another important feature of the tourism strategy is the emphasis on improving visitor yield - that is, the amount of money made from visitors. This is a shift in direction from the traditional approach that sought more and more visitors from overseas while ignoring the environmental impacts caused by uncontrolled growth.
The impact that tourists can make on the
conservation estate can be significant.
I do not
support suggestions that we charge tourists a tax on
arrival, or charge them a different rate from the general
public for the use of the same services or facilities.
That approach is likely to contravene the Human Rights
Act as well as the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act.
I
am, however, considering ways in which we can minimise the
detrimental impacts of tourists.
The options may include
a pro-active approach to steer tourists towards managed
activities such as serviced walks on private land, farmstays
and horse treks.
You may be interested to know what my
Department has identified as its priorities for outdoor
recreation over the next three years.
These priorities
include:
„h Ensuring that there is an effective decision
making process that involves a wide range of community
interest groups;
„h Ensuring that there is a wide range of recreation opportunities that meet current and longer term needs of visitors to conservation areas;
„h Promoting outdoor recreation, for inspiration and enjoyment, and to raise awareness that areas managed by the Department of Conservation are owned by, and for, all New Zealanders;
„h Maximising the benefits for visitors across a range of recreation opportunities by aligning recreation facilities and information services;
„h Ensuring that recreation facilities meet appropriate service and legal standards and that a balance is achieved between their long-term maintenance requirements and available resources;
„h Ensuring visitors have easy access to information which helps them to choose, enjoy and understand the places they visit; and
„h Establishing new wilderness areas including the Adams and Northern Paparoa wilderness areas promoted by FMC.
Clearly, the challenges
are many and we will all have a role to play in this area.
As I said at the commencement of my speech, I see FMC as
working in partnership with DOC and the government where
there are issues of common interest.
While we may not
always be in agreement, I have a fundamental respect for the
support that you have given over many years for issues
related to the protection of public access.
I therefore wish you well for your Annual General Meeting.