Forest access assured for users

27th June 2008

by Alison Brown alison.brown@dailypost.co.nz

Recreational users of the Whakarewarewa Forest will still be able to use it despite its handover to new owners with this week's historic Treaty of Waitangi signing.

But exact details, including whether access will continue to be free in future, have not been confirmed.

The forest land is part of the $400-million plus Treelords deal struck between the Crown and seven iwi, including Ngati Whakaue and the affiliate Te Arawa iwi and hapu.

As part of the settlement, the Central North Island Collective has agreed to access to the forest for recreational users such as walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

Once the settlement becomes law, it will mean the collective will negotiate with Timberlands and Rotorua District Council over how the forest will be managed.

Timberlands manages the cutting rights to the trees on behalf of forest owners Harvard University and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund.

Speaking to The Daily Post from Chile, Rotorua MP Steve Chadwick said the forest's land owners had changed but it was still "business as usual" for Rotorua's recreational users.

"The collective has agreed that the forests would remain accessible to walkers, cyclists and horse riders," she said.

"We will be able to use our forest tracks and paths as we always have. This historic event is a win-win situation for iwi and for all Rotorua residents."

Mrs Chadwick is in Chile, leading a New Zealand delegation which is attending an International Whaling Commission meeting.



Rotorua Mountain Bike Club advocacy manager Dave Donaldson said the club, which had created 100km of mountainbike trails throughout Whakarewarewa Forest, viewed the settlement as a "positive" for Rotorua.

He hoped the club would be a part of any future discussions between the collective and the council over the forest's value to Rotorua as a recreational asset.

While welcoming the assurance that public would continue to have access to the forest, Mr Donaldson said it had to be free.

"I would urge the collective to think carefully about that. We won't get any charitable funding to create trails on privately-owned land that the public is charged to access and those trails will revert back to an overgrown jungle in no time at all."

Meanwhile, this week's signing coincides with finishing touches being made to a petition calling on the Government to stop any further logging of Douglas fir trees in the forest around Tikitapu (Blue Lake).

Organised by National Party's Rotorua candidate Todd McClay, the petition was signed by about 1100 Rotorua residents.

Officials are processing the petition which is likely to be tabled in Parliament by National's conservation spokesman, Nick Smith, next week.

It will be forwarded to a parliamentary select committee where MPs will then decide what action, if any, should be taken.

Mr McClay said support for the petition showed residents felt strongly about how Whakarewarewa Forest should be managed in the future. "The millions of dollars that Rotorua gains from its recreational use far outweighs its commercial value now. It needs better protection."

Felling in the Blue Lake catchment is continuing and, depending on the weather, is expected to be completed by mid August. Temporary closures remain in place.