Riverbank reserve law ‘far-sighted’

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33675, 26 October 1974, Page 19

Riverbank reserve law ‘far-sighted’

(.New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. The Environmental Defence Society has praised the 1974 Counties Amendment Act as “far-sighted and timely,” and described a private member’s bill that would reverse it as “a step backwards.”

A director of the society,: Mr S. Mills, said the group ■ supported the aims of the I amendment, which had been' attacked by Federated Farm-i ers. The amendment requires all persons subdividing land in counties to give a strip at least one chain wide alongside the wider streams, rivers, lakes, and sea coast for public recreation reserves. Only new subdivi-i sions of less than 10 acres; were required to make the I ‘donation previously. • “Federated Farmers 1 i appear to oppose the idea that the people of New Zea- ! land should have access to ; their lakes, rivers and sea I coasts,” said Mr Mills. “These waters are public resources. The society feels it is proper that the public have access to them.” A new amendment in-1

(traduced by Mr L. Gandar i(Nat Ruahine) would restore Ithe previous position of; i(esplanade reserves in coun■jties. Mr Mills said that in spite ;of the official position of . Federated Farmers, the society believed that many • individual farmers supported , the aims of the government’s amendment, and reci ognised that before it (became law, the absence of ; public access to shorelines sihad effectively made many public areas private domain. > The amendment was a i timely measure. “The Government showed '(great farsightedness, but ini stead of being applauded it is now being picked at, ” he : said. “We are concerned that > the Government will be per- : suaded by what we feel is the fairly narrow viewpoint - of Federated Farmers.”