PICNICKERS AT COUTTS ISLAND

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23264, 26 February 1941, Page 14

PICNICKERS AT COUTTS ISLAND

- TO THE EDITOB or THE PBESS. Sir,—l notice at Coutts Island and other river-beds in various parts of .Canterbury that owners of properties have built their fences right out into the river-bed itself, .sometimes several yards out from the banks. They have also posted notices, “Trespassers will be prosecuted,” and in some cases appear in person, ordering picnickers off m a very belligerent manner. Some picnickers, naturally enough, resent such treatment, and become truculent. I was under the impression that in ~ New .Zealand the river-beds and also ■; the banks for some distance on each s4:slde;were public property. Could you .s'ifcll '-me whether this is so? In any apart from - the -disgusting litter

left by most New Zealanders when they go picnicking, these persons were doing no damage to property, and indeed the property being used was absolutely useless for any kind of farming, consisting of sand and willow scrub only. In the event of the farmers having the law on their side, I would respectfully suggest that they put up notices inviting people to picnic in particular spots, provided no litter is left about and no damage of any sort done to their properties Yours, etc.,

February 23, 1941. [“The landowners have the riparian rights of the river and in most cases have the right to do what they like in allowing people on to the land adjacent to the river banks,” said Mr C. W. Hervey; the secretary of the Waimakariri River Trust. “Apart from that, and particularly at the present time, landowners have need to be exceedingly careful because of the menace of fires. The trust has fire wardens, under instruction from officials, whose duty is to carry out an inspection oi these areas and warn any persons off the property who have no special permits to be there. The- people have been allowed, in the past, considerable latitude in'wandering ..bout the river banks, but that has - been at the-dis-. cretion of - the landowners.”!