Progress on walkways

Press, 22 August 1978, Page 21

Progress on walkways

PA Wellington Good progress is being made on the development of public walkways in spite of a staff shortage, according to the annual report of the Department of Lands and Survey. it said that although labour was available in most districts there were not enough supervisory and administrative staff to use on walkwav development. Some districts tent themselves to the development of walkways more than others. South Auckland and Westland, for instance, had many attractions and ample public land to make walkway development interesting and relatively straightforward. However, other districts

were not as richly endowed with natural or historical attractions and had limited public land for walkways. Since the appointment of the Walkway Commission in February, 1976, four walkways in Auckland and Westland had been officially opened to make a total of eight, as four pilot walkways had been established by 1975. Thirteen more walkways were planned for completion with the next 12 months. The work of walkway committees was still being frustrated by the reluctance of landowners and local authorities to support road-closing action over unformed legal roads on which walkways could be formed. "Hopefully this problem has been alleviated by the I amendment to the New ’ Zealand Walkways Act I that allows the under- | lying status of road to reI main but for walkway 1 status to be superimposed | to enable control to be I exercised over off-road vei hides,” said the report. “The commission and ; district committees will j also have to concentrate I more effort on obtaining ' the co-operation of landI owners who have reservaI tions about the merit of the walkways concept.’’