Herenga ā Nuku Aotearoa Outdoor Access Commission

05/08/2026

🥾 Free Trailmakers' Hui: Growing and Keeping Your Volunteers

Community tracks run on volunteers — but recruiting and keeping them is the hard part. Join us online to hear from Chris Livesey, Chair of the Manawa Karioi Society, on what's worked (and what has not) after 30+ years volunteering with the Manawa Karioi ecological restoration project in Island Bay.

Now 19 hectares and volunteer-run since 1991, Manawa Karioi covers everything from track building to planting and pest control. Chris will share practical, tested ideas for attracting and retaining volunteers — hands-on and behind-the-scenes — plus growing future leaders.

If you manage a track network or restoration project, come along with your questions.

📅 12 noon, Thursday 27 August
💻 Register here: https://volunteer-trailmakers.lilregie.com

23/07/2026

Did you know you can download our map data straight to your GPS or phone — no signal required?

You can draw lines or points on our maps over unformed legal roads, marginal strips, easements and other public accessways, then export them as GPX or KMZ files to load onto a handheld GPS unit or phone. This is great if you use apps like Backcountry Navigator on Android or Topo GPS on iOS.

It's good for landholders too: fewer people accidentally wandering onto private land.

🗺️ Try it: https://maps.herengaanuku.govt.nz/Viewer/?map=202d9deb4dfa4c82a13536e12c58d8fa
📋 How to: https://www.herengaanuku.govt.nz/maps/help/downloadable-gpx-files-make-accessing-hidden-spots-easier

17/07/2026

We advocated for and recently secured esplanade strips running around 3km along both banks of the Mangati Stream near Te Akau. The strips connect to Te Akau Road in several places, just along from the small Te Akau School, giving the local community practical access to the stream.
This rural community also collects kai from the stream in the form of watercress. By securing this public access — created as a result of an overseas investment — we’ve helped connect this small rural community to the stream, with potential to enable future restoration opportunities linked to the waterway too.
🗺️ See the map for where the new esplanade strips run (in red).

13/07/2026

We asked — they delivered. A horse rider flagged that North City Council had locked a gate, which kept horses off the Back Track in the Kahuterawa Reserve. Our Regional Field Advisor found Back Track is actually a legal road — not part of the reserve.

PNCC agreed straight away but was worried that removing the gate would invite unwanted vehicle use. We shared examples of how other councils solve that problem – and less than 4 months later, they’d built this.

Once signage goes in, horse riders will be back on the track alongside walkers and cyclists – on a route that's also part of Te Araroa - New Zealand's Trail. Great, fast turnaround from PNCC. 🐴🚶🚵

Photos: Lynne Moore.

08/07/2026

Mānawatia a Matariki — happy Māori New Year to everyone marking this special time with whānau and friends. 🌌

As Matariki reminds us to reflect on the past and plan for the future, we've submitted on Te Here ā Nuku (Nelson Tenths) Bill, now before the Finance and Expenditure Committee.

We support the Bill's broad direction. The Nelson Tenths case is one of the longest-running property disputes in Aotearoa New Zealand's history, and returning legal title to Te Here-ā-Nuku Trust, as kaitiaki on behalf of the owners, is a significant step.



You can find our submission on our website under 'publications', or athttps://www.herengaanuku.govt.nz/assets/Publication/Files/2026-07-06-Submission-on-Tenths-Trust-Bill-2026.pdf

01/07/2026

Recreationists on your land? Don’t worry.

If you’ve ever wondered whether letting people walk, bike or hunt across your land could land you in health and safety hot water, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common concerns farmers raise. There’s good news, though — New Zealand law has your back.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, you’re not responsible for the health and safety of recreational visitors simply because they’re on your land. The law is clear: people who come onto rural land for recreation — walkers, mountain bikers, hunters, horse riders — take on the normal risks that come with being out in the countryside. That’s their responsibility, not yours.

In other words, you do not need to fence off every ditch, put up warning signs at every gate, or worry that someone twisting an ankle on a farm track is going to sue you. Your only responsibility is to point out the actual workplace hazards, such as tree felling or operating machinery.

There’s something in it for you, too. Beyond the peace of mind, there are upsides to welcoming people onto your land. Good relationships with local walkers, hunters and the wider community can pay dividends — people who know and appreciate your land are more likely to respect it. Gates get left as they’re found. Fences stay intact. Troublemakers looking for spots where they cannot be seen stay away.

You can also build goodwill. Farmers who share their special land often find that it strengthens their connections in the community. Sometimes people’s understanding of rural New Zealand can feel fragile. Letting people see how you care for your land makes a real difference.

If you’d like to understand exactly how the law applies — and what reasonable precautions look like in practice — The Outdoor Access Commission has solid, plain-English guidance: www.herengaanuku.govt.nz/health-safety-obligations-landholders

The law enables landholders to grant access to recreational visitors. They are still obliged to warn visitors of risks that they wouldn’t normally expect.

25/06/2026

Following our advocacy, DOC has signposted the turnoff to Mt Reeves in the Tararua Forest Park — home to the centre of the Zealandia continent.

The issue began when access from Waiohine Valley Rd was blocked after a nearby landowner objected to public use of a track crossing private land. Investigations (including some very soggy fieldwork!) confirmed that a river-based legal access route wasn’t a practical alternative.

Although restoring the original access wasn’t possible, an old alternative route from Waiohine Gorge Rd has now been officially recognised. Local trampers had kept the route alive after DOC stopped promoting it following the removal of a bridge years ago.

The new sign is now up just past the Waiohine Gorge swingbridge.

📷: Franz Hubmann

25/06/2026

Horse riding is a valued recreation activity and, for some communities, an important transport option. When planning shared paths, an inclusive approach works best — one that looks to accommodate a wide range of users where it's practical to do so, with separation where safety requires it and shared use where good design makes it work.
Our shared path guidance recognises that horse riders can be among the more vulnerable users on a path, which is why thoughtful design matters. Experience from around Aotearoa shows that with the right design and clear expectations, horses and other path users can share space successfully.
Bringing horse riders’ needs into the planning early helps keep options open for new paths and invites a broad evidence base. More information on shared path principles is at herengaanuku.govt.nz.

The 30km City to Sea Rail Trail will begin in Longburn and go out towards the coast at Himatangi and Foxton – but a 6km section is in dispute.

12/06/2026

Great to see the Waitatari/Harts Creek Track near Leeston (Canterbury) officially reopened recently.

Our regional advisor joined 40–50 locals to celebrate the upgrade led by the Lions Club of Ellesmere. Public access is now secured with a variable-width esplanade and Walking Access Act easements, supported by Enhanced Access Grant funding.
Awesome mahi — capped off with a BBQ for those who stayed. 🥩

04/06/2026

‪
$10,000 in seed funding → $345,000 raised for a new Golden Bay trail. 🚴🌿
Our early support helped the Golden Bay Cycle and Walkways Society turn an early plan into a credible, fundable project: herengaanuku.govt.nz/golden-bay-seed-funding

📷: Golden Bay Cycle and Walkways Society