Nth. Canterbury Waipara Gorge Access Update

[madaz068]

Anyone able to scan and email me a copy of this article please?

fweddy has done that for me (another great bloke). PM either him or me with your email and one of us will send it to you

[fweddy]

Anyone able to scan and email me a copy of this article please?

Yep happy to help. Have a PDF scan just waiting for an email to send to.

[kiwipete]

Anyone able to scan and email me a copy of this article please?

Yep happy to help. Have a PDF scan just waiting for an email to send to.

PM'd you thanks.

[spankmeister]

Thanks fweddy. Makes for an interesting read.

[Sadam_Husain]

Any chance of posting a copy of the newspaper article on here for the rest of us to have a read?

[fweddy]

Any chance of posting a copy of the newspaper article on here for the rest of us to have a read?

See PM

[BrentC]

Good to see another responsible owner telling fibs about how they own a part of the Waipara River




http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=&daddr=-43.068681,172.606201&hl=en&geocode=&mra=mi&mrsp=0&sz=16&sll=-43.066411,172.607918&sspn=0.008449,0.016029&ie=UTF8&z=16


note how Ram Paddock Road is supposed to go when changing from map to sattelite view - note the claremont Boundary DOES NOT cover any part of the Waipara River

I hope that the rivers protectors protest Claremonts latest advertorial that is in this months AA magazine.

[Steve_t647]

The Waipara River Working Group has now completed the Draft Plan.

This is urgent.

At this time there will be just 9 days to make a submission. 5th to the 27th August.

The council has met to adopt the document as a draft. Emails now might have an effect. This is way to short and we need it to be taken out to 60 days.


Combined tried to get full access for all and the fall back position was for Combined only and agreed Access. This may create some conflict with other 4WDers and they are aware of this this is your chance to have your say.

You are encouraged to read the draft and make individual submissions as well as note any items that the Club needs to discuss.

It is important to remember that this could be the way that many of our rivers are managed in the future so it need to be right.

You need to email the Hurunui District Council asking that the Submission period be extended to 60 days.

Email the Mayor mayor@hurunui.govt.nz with a copy to julie.coster@hurunui.govt.nz

Subject should be Waipara River Submission Period.



In the email you should

request that we are given 60 days to enable interested parties to discuss the draft plan and to place submissions.
Request a copy of the Draft Document to be emailed to you
Request any minutes from meetings between the parties in relation to the management plan to be copied and mailed to your address.

Do this ASAP

[SMOKEY]

Thanks Steve, I have sent an email. The Waipara is to nice a piece of country to lose. My thanks to all those involved in the access side of the management plan all though I can't help wondering where Combined Clubs stand is and how far access for all was pushed for before their FALLBACK plan for combined members was placed on the table. We all know that only certain groups bugger it for the clubs that never do anything wrong,

YEAH RIGHT,

FITZY.

[Steve_t647]

Well right now the draft plan is in place and under it ONLY the combined club has access, to be fair to combined I do think they pushed for everyone to have access but by them putting up the fall back option (for themselves) the loudest voices have said use that.

It is a great spot and in summer being able to go down to the riverbed and sit in a shady spot away from everyone else will mean a bit of a walk with the chillybin.

It is up to everyone not represented by combined to register their interest and ask for the submission period to be extended, the local horse riding individuals are recognised even tho horse effluent will reduce the water quality.

We need voices

[albundy]

Combined Clubs stand is and how far access for all was pushed for before their FALLBACK plan for combined members was placed on the table. We all know that only certain groups bugger it for the clubs that never do anything wrong,

We have a meeting this Thursday night so will get up to speed with the "stance" as I have been away in Oz for the last month. I personally do not support a "combined clubs access only by permit". I spend alot of summertime up there in the river with my boys. I personally know of a club affilitiated with combined that was intent on driving through the gorge. It makes total hypocrisy of the belief that clubs are responsible as we know some of there members are not, take the recent fiasco at Napoleons hill over Queen's b'day weekend.
I will remind you all of the West Coast CMS review, it was mooted that combined would support access by permit only, which I and many other people fought against...AND WON!
It aint over until the fat lady sings people, and she aint singing yet...get those submissions in.
Al

[kiwipete]

I have had a reply already as per the quote below.

Hi Peter,

Have forwarded your requests onto Helga Rigg who is the council officer handling the Waipara River Managment Stategy. She will be in contact.

The council at it's last months meeting agreed to allow the 60 days that were asked for therefore the new closing date is now 5pm on the 30th September 2010 in order to allow everyone that chance to submit on the draft plan for the Waipara River management.

Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Thank you for your email.

Regards
Julie Coster Cr

[kbjj]

I have had a reply already as per the quote below.

Hi Peter,
Have forwarded .......

Regards
Julie Coster Cr

Have had exactly the same response.
Jeremy

[Leithfield]

Draft document can be accessed here: http://www.hurunui.govt.nz/Documents/Co ... rategy.pdf

Submission form can be located here: http://www.hurunui.govt.nz/Documents/Co ... 20Form.doc

I would also urge that you review page 24 of the Draft Strategy Document ...
"Unformed legal roads
...
Unformed legal roads or ‘paper roads’ as they are often referred to, are no different in law from formed roads. That is the public have the right to use them on foot, on horse, or in vehicles without hindrance from the adjacent landowner or anyone else. There is a right to assert unhindered passage at all times, however, this right only applies to the unformed legal road and any deviation off the unformed legal road onto private property, is trespassing. In terms of the Waipara
River, there is an unformed legal road along the north bank of the river from Stringers Road Bridge to approximately 1.5 kilometres upstream of White Gorge.

Might I posit the suggestion that too in your submission you inquire as to what the HDC are doing as part of their statutory obligation to protect access to this recognised unformed road for all, and advise you reserve the right to draw this to the attention of the Minister for Local Government!!!


It is my opinion that the strategy document has some excellent proposals; however there are others which would appear to suggest self-interest on the part of some.

[albundy]

In terms of the Waipara
River, there is an unformed legal road along the north bank of the river from Stringers Road Bridge to approximately 1.5 kilometres upstream of White Gorge.

In terms of using this road, you can't as it doesn't exist in some places unless you are spiderman of course.
Again I urge you all to make a submission.
Al

[Leithfield]

In terms of the Waipara
River, there is an unformed legal road along the north bank of the river from Stringers Road Bridge to approximately 1.5 kilometres upstream of White Gorge.

In terms of using this road, you can't as it doesn't exist in some places unless you are spiderman of course.
Again I urge you all to make a submission.
Al

Nevertheless, it is a legally enshrined 'IN" for all.

[OVERSZ]

The Waipara River Working Group has now completed the Draft Plan.

This is urgent.

At this time there will be just 9 days to make a submission. 5th to the 27th August.

The council has met to adopt the document as a draft. Emails now might have an effect. This is way to short and we need it to be taken out to 60 days.


Combined tried to get full access for all and the fall back position was for Combined only and agreed Access. This may create some conflict with other 4WDers and they are aware of this this is your chance to have your say.

You are encouraged to read the draft and make individual submissions as well as note any items that the Club needs to discuss.

It is important to remember that this could be the way that many of our rivers are managed in the future so it need to be right.

You need to email the Hurunui District Council asking that the Submission period be extended to 60 days.

Email the Mayor mayor@hurunui.govt.nz with a copy to julie.coster@hurunui.govt.nz

Subject should be Waipara River Submission Period.



In the email you should

request that we are given 60 days to enable interested parties to discuss the draft plan and to place submissions.
Request a copy of the Draft Document to be emailed to you
Request any minutes from meetings between the parties in relation to the management plan to be copied and mailed to your address.

Do this ASAP

So everyone knows. I am Graham Pullman the Secretary of Combined.

The above posting by Steve_t647 is a copy of an email that I sent out to all Combined Member Clubs and members of the 2 clubs I belong to.

In it I said "Combined tried to get full access for all and the fall back position was for Combined only and agreed Access. This may create some conflict with other 4WDers and they are aware of this this is your chance to have your say."

That was our position to go to the meeting with the intention of fighting strenuously to keep the status quo.

At that meeting the Mayor, Gary Jackson announced that the discussions were over and that the Draft Plan was to be released in the next few day

Combined did notget to put its position.

At last nights combined meeting we resolved to fight for unrestricted rights as hard as is possible.

I urge everyone to put in a submission. Wives, girlfriends, children.
Letters to the editor. The people of the Hurunui District are going to have to bear the cost of their council fighting this.
It is not only 4WD but people have used the River for camping, picnicing and many other peaceful activities. They will also be shut out.

Albundy will shortly have a PDF of a newspaper article. I hope he knows how to put that on here because I cant figure it out.

I and I assume Al will keep you up to date.

Cheers

Graham

[kiwipete]

the new closing date is now 5pm on the 30th September 2010

[SMOKEY]

Hi to all followers of this thread, after reading the Draft for the Waipara river management strategy prepared by the Waipara river working party I have grave concerns re where we as individuals with no club backing will stand as far as vehicle access goes.

Graham, thank you for your post re your position in the Combine Four Wheel Club and the direction you think the combine club is taking.
From my point of view I can't see how the general 4WD public can get a fair say when the Combine 4WD club has one of it's members in the Working Party and how the Combine 4WD club can push for unrestricted rights as hard as possible when they have already tabled there fallback plan and as already quoted in the action plan " RESTRICT MOTOR VEHICLE ACCESS TO LANDOWNER APPROVED OUTINGS BY THE COMBINED 4WD CLUB.
I have been out of the 4WD club scene for a long time now so don't have any personal involvement in club activities but it wasn't that long ago that Combine Clubs blocked our membership ORE to there group because they needed to be able to blame all the bad 4WDing on someone that wasn't club members.
To all of you put your submissions in, we might get a fair hearing but I somehow think the good guys have already got the bottle of Champagne and Cucumber sandwiches on the table at

THE WAIPARA RIVER GORGE.

FITZY
Kevin Fitzgibbon

[OVERSZ]

Hi to all followers of this thread, after reading the Draft for the Waipara river management strategy prepared by the Waipara river working party I have grave concerns re where we as individuals with no club backing will stand as far as vehicle access goes.

Graham, thank you for your post re your position in the Combine Four Wheel Club and the direction you think the combine club is taking.
From my point of view I can't see how the general 4WD public can get a fair say when the Combine 4WD club has one of it's members in the Working Party and how the Combine 4WD club can push for unrestricted rights as hard as possible when they have already tabled there fallback plan and as already quoted in the action plan " RESTRICT MOTOR VEHICLE ACCESS TO LANDOWNER APPROVED OUTINGS BY THE COMBINED 4WD CLUB.
I have been out of the 4WD club scene for a long time now so don't have any personal involvement in club activities but it wasn't that long ago that Combine Clubs blocked our membership ORE to there group because they needed to be able to blame all the bad 4WDing on someone that wasn't club members.
To all of you put your submissions in, we might get a fair hearing but I somehow think the good guys have already got the bottle of Champagne and Cucumber sandwiches on the table at

THE WAIPARA RIVER GORGE.

FITZY
Kevin Fitzgibbon

Thanks Kevin

Combined did not even get to discuss ANY position on 4WDing except that we agreed that 4WDing was not in anyones interest at the mouth where there are bird colonys. We accepted the meeting consensus. Also between Whites Gorge and Doctors Gorge where there is significant geological treasurers. Once again we accepted the consensus of the meeting.

Yes Combined had a representative on the working party who attended every meeting during its 18 months of discussions. And attended many meetings before that to try and get the issue sorted. Over 3 years in fact.

"RESTRICT MOTOR VEHICLE ACCESS TO LANDOWNER APPROVED OUTINGS BY THE COMBINED 4WD CLUB" That is NOT our wording and was in the Draft without our knowledge. Please read my previous post on this.

Any person or any interest group had the opportunity to be part of the working party.

There is now no working party and this is now the responsibility of the Hurunui District Council.

It is up to us all to focus our attention on fighting for our rights without finger pointing at anyone but the Council.

[OVERSZ]

I have a Pdf that I want to put on the thread. Can someone tell me how?

Cheers

Graham

[OVERSZ]

Bill is going to put the document on for me.

Folks this is the start of the Public awareness program.

There are thousands of people being affected here and when it comes down to it for just a few landowners. Several of whom claim to have AMFA rights to the centre of the river.
None of them to my knowledge have ever produced evidence of this.
Some land owner who claim to have AMFA rights have no issue and just ask that during lambing that people be quiet.
WE are a very large group of people who are passionate about our 4WDing and recreational activities wither it be camping, picnicking, Fishing or just relaxing. That was evidenced by the disproportionate number of submissions made on the West Coast CMS.

The Submissions from 4WDers is likely to overwhelm the Hurunui District Council and in my next posting will outline the way I think we should approach this.

In the meantime we need to make the Hurunui District Council aware via the Media that we are not going to be walked over. Letters to the editor of the North Canterbury News will make the Rate Payers aware that they will be footing a huge bill, possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars just for a few landowners adjoining the river.
The address is

The Editor
North Canterbury News
PO Box 1467
Christchurch 8011

You may be able to email north.canty@starcanterbury.co.nz
The story also appears in the Hurunui News today.
Write to them as well. joannab@hurunuinews.co.nz


To read the article I'm referring to.
http://issuu.com/the.star/docs/110229nc ... oOffsetY=0 Page 8

Cheers

Graham

[OVERSZ]

Submissions.

So that we dont go off 1/2 cocked it is important that you understand the issue and what has been published in the draft.

First download and read the draft.
http://www.hurunui.govt.nz/Documents/Co ... rategy.pdf

Then post key points that you pick up on to share them.

Give reasons why this is in your opinion is a key point.

I have a number of key points but at this stage I wont publish them. That way you will all go in with an open mind.

I will attempt to bring those key points together so you and everyone you know can then make an informed submission.

I would like to see input from all over New Zealand not just Canterbury.

Lets keep this focused and not allow personalities to come into our efforts to keep the Status Quo.

pm me if you wish

Cheers

Graham

[wjw]

[OVERSZ]

Thanks Bill for that.

Here is my letter to the editor. Do your own thing or change mine about to suit you. Get it in fast. The next publication will be this Tuesday. But they publish every week.
To show you are doing your bit copy and paste your letter into a posting on here as I have done below. That will help others who are short of ideas.

I have already sent mine off.

Email to north.canty@starcanterbury.co.nz

The Editor
North Canterbury News

Dear Sir/Madam

In your August 17th issue there was an article about the Waipara River and the Hurunui District Councils Draftplan for the river. I am offended by the attitude of the Hurunui District Council. As a youngster I spent many a day and weekends enjoying camping and picnicking along this beautiful river with my Grand Parents, Mum and Dad as well as Aunts, Uncles and Cousins.
Now as an adult with knees that don’t allow me to walk any great distances I have taken to using my 4WD to access some places that I once enjoyed as a younger person. I have shared this great spot with my Grand Children and loath the day when they can not share it with their children.
What is this Council thinking when to a large degree they want to close off the river to all those except on foot or horse back?
I know many people will be submitting against this and would suggest that the Council and Rate Payers of the Hurunui may well be spending a great deal of money to in essence appease just a couple of landowners that got this whole thing going. Is this what the Rate Payers want?
Sir through your News Paper I invite the Mayor Gary Jackson to front up to a meeting of affected people. I am prepared to organise such a meeting and venue.


Yours sincerely


Graham Pullman

[albundy]

Thanks Graham for bringing people up to speed and dispelling the myth that Combined has a fall back position, they do not! I would have posted something sooner but I have been away in Kopara since Friday morning. As said, we need to get on the band wagon with this one or we are going to loose it. I have had the Southern PRO of NZFWDA in contact and they will be making a submission and getting it out throught their own membership. I am happy to be the lead/contact with this for ORE. And can we leave all that past shit between ORE and Combined behind us please, it does no one any favours at all. Together we stand, divided we fall.
Al

[OVERSZ]

Ahhh Kopara. Neat place.

Thanks for that. By tonight you should have the Combined Minutes. Just waiting on some info. I have spent almost all weekend on research and have come up with some VERY interesting stuff. You should already have a email with a couple of links that I think will help win this one.

But as you say and we said at the meeting EVERYONE needs to get into this. That would be overwhelming for the Council.
I have a couple of issues about the Submission Process as well.
that too is in the minutes.
Happy for you to take the lead for ORE as I think I will be busy enough with other groups, but happy to help in any way I can.

Cheers

Graham

[Steve_t647]

Sorry Al, combined and others. I brought this back up because of the issue and the fall back option (that is what it looked like from the position I was in), I also advised the NZ4WDA of the issue to bring as much lobby pressure onto this as possible from their membership.

This does not excuse anyone from putting forward their position including members of Combined putting in their own, the pressures on the river are only going to increase.

We acknoledge there are "the few" causing issues, a few motorbikes, a few locals, a few quads, a few horse riders, a few 4wd owners. This is about the innocent and law abiding being affected because we all know this will not stop the few unless everyone gets behind the same position.

I have no issue with Combined they are doing what is best for all and their members, to this end there is already the section allow some use of an area there was proposed to be none.

[OVERSZ]

Thanks Steve.

Keep up the good work. NZ4wd Etc.

Letter writing???? I know of several letters to the editor so far.
Everyone please write. We must show the HDC that we are passionate about this.

Al pm me when you get home. I will phone you.

Cheers

Graham

[albundy]

It's alright Steve, all cleared up and we are all on the same page. having read the document I would have thought the same not being privy to membership of Combined. keep the pressure on guys, we are going to win this one as well.

Al