That last photo doesn't even have 4WD tracks in it! Mt Buster diggings has been a place where people have drive on the old diggings for years and years. Although I don't condone it, they are not really doing any harm there.
I do find FMC's attitute to 'other' users pretty poor and it has been like that for a long time - the not so willing to share part. Even the comment in the article about the Ahuriri being wonderful - this caused a huge uproar when DoC closed the gate up the magnificent valley. Nowadays only a few can experience the upper valley.
It is a shame the author feels this way about the other river valleys. It is hard to understand why people want to venture far off the existing tracks, its too dam bumpy! The article even says 70-80% of people using the valley are in 4WD's. Closing it off removes so much more of NZ'ers exploring NZ country. Doc/ 4WD'ers and other recreation users can all work in harmony so long as they all understand each other. Such as a locked gate that can be opened when asked permission.
In their view 4WD's and motorbikes etc disturb the natural quiet. The thing is, 4WD's are very limited to where we can go, get off the elitist high ground and go somewhere we can't - isn't that the idea of mountain clubs?
As an aside, last winter 13 vehicles got stranded on the old man range in the snow and the media had a field day as did public backlash. Now for years fighting to keep this road open, we have been educating people to stick to the track to avoid wrecking the natural peat bogs on top. To organise the dozer to retrieve the vehicles there was so many hoops to go through at huge cost and not a mark was to be made on the track etc.
This last summer the Southland District Council has put a 20 ton digger over the track, drained all the water holes and made a hell of a mess. Huge mounds of soil/peat beside the track and 50m long drains out into the swamps.
One rule for us and one rule for them.