This page last modified 6 July 2004
An opportunity
for our Supporters and others to express views on current issues.
Names are withheld unless express consent is given.
We reserve the right to edit -- especially if contributions are
too lavish in their praise of us,
too personal, or defamatory!
Whangarei
July 2004
Open spaces are vital to public mental health - no one should be confined to a quarter acre section or to city streets.
Wellington
july 2002
The website is especially useful and informative.
Twizel
24 April 2001
PANZ has the best organised website I've seen in 10 years of working with computers - good work!
Christchurch
1 April 2001
I came across your site while browsing the internet - it's a really neat resource...we manage a similar site on tussock grasslands...we've created a link to your site as we feel it may be of interest to our audience...
Whangarei
15 April 2001
I am a Councillor with the Whangarei District Council and today, Easter Sunday I am doing a bit of a catch up and clean out and in the midst of all that have sat down to read your No 13 bulletin. I am so delighted to have received this publication as it addresses some concerns and work I am involved with locally. Particularly, "DoC failing public recreation".
I find the article helpful in two ways. We have a major community project with DoC where the issue of conservation versus public access/recreation is an issue we have yet to resolve, with some of the conservation focus coming from one or two "supporters" who I believe have become "hooked" into the very matter your article raises.
Secondly, the very clear reference to the conservation act and its application are also relevant in a more general sense in local open space strategies we are currently reviewing.
"Recreation and sport review".
This article too is relevant for me, as on the northland coast
we still have some wonderful, 'almost remote' but readily accessible
(contradictory? no!) outdoor recreation areas in
which we need to build community interest and support in maintaining,
and not allowing indiscriminate development. The reference to
the Hillary Commission focus in spending was very timely.
I dont know how your publication came onto my desk but I would be keen to receive future copies. Please advise me how to get onto your mailing list and to pay?
Palmerson North
7 March 2001
A colleague of mine has loaned me a copy of your No 13, February issue of 'Public Access'... I must say that it is full of vital info.
May I please receive this publication as a Supporter?
Kind regards,
[A] Palmerston North City Councillor.
Thanks for your advice re tenure reviews. I appreciate it...no one else seems to be so effective.
Christchurch
June 2002
Christchurch
12 June 2001
The New Zealand Alpine Club would like to convey its congratulations to PANZ for their recent successful resolution of the access problems in the Ahuriri Valley.
The Club was extremely pleased to see reported in the February 2001 PANZ newsletter the account of the new legal and undisputable access ways to the upper Ahuriri valley area.
This problem has been a long running dispute, and many organisations have been working towards a solution. Clearly PANZ has done a great job at finally laying the matter to rest with all the boundaries and roads now clearly defined and marked.
Congratulations again and keep up the great work.
Richard Wesley
National Administrator
Christchurch
9 May 2001
Greetings Bruce and any others associated with the great work on the Ahuriri access.
I just wanted to say thanks for the work you have done and the success you have achieved in the Ahuriri. Like many of us, I have been concerned at the loss ( or difficulty with ) of access but never did anything about it.
Yes, probably now I should stop talking and do something about supporting.
Christchurch
9 January 2001
It is a great valley - one of the best. I believe the locked gate is all about control, but it is hard to know. A good initiative.
Queenstown
5 January 2001
Thank you so much for your sterling work re the Ahuriri.
Dunedin
2 January 2001
Great job well done indeed. NZ is lucky to have someone like you
protecting the interests of the public.
Motueka
28 December 2000
I really want to congratulate you on this great achievement - surely one of PANZ's greatest victories. I applaud you and the team for your valiant efforts. Keep up the good work. My donation to assist with such efforts is in the mail.
Christchurch
27 December 2000
Sounds a wonderful effort to me! Thank you!
Dunedin
27 December 2000
Heartiest congratulations and thanks.
California
26 December 2000
Congratulations (on Ahuriri)...I just came back from my annual pilgrimage (#10) to the top of the South Island and I was shocked to see what is happening...restrictions on access - cuts off miles of river. This is very bad news as it concentrates everyone on the lower parts of the river.... At CalTrout we have fought these battles for years and often lose because of the restrictive private land use laws in the USA - we do not have the Queen's chain - lost that in 1776.
Christchurch
26 December 2000
Congratulations...What an achievement. We are looking forward to exploring this valley and appreciate your work in establishing the legality of the access and it's historic value.
Wanaka
30 November 2000
All strength to your arm over the Ahuriri access issue. I have long used this valley recreationally, initially for hunting and latterly to fish and I have always found the runholder unhelpful and obstructive. I'm aware that DOC had continual problems over public access. When I lived in Twizel the Forest Service rangers used to signpost the gates with public access notices to counter Ron Williamson's closure efforts. In my discussions with the man himself I found little of merit in his arguments, rather just the personality of a [censured] spirited individual. I fully support PANZ over this issue and will follow it closely. I value my right to fish this river immensely.
Dunedin
November 2000
Tourism is indisputably our
"golden egg", with huge potential for high quality,
peak experience ventures, but tourism projects are getting out
of hand; New Zealand is rapidly developing into "Tiki Tourist
Land" - one great "Theme Park" full of high thrill,
quick trip, soft-option "adventures"... intrinsic values
of our wilderness areas must take precedence over pecuniary or
commercial interests..."you don't know what you've got 'till
its gone..."
Dunedin Branch, Forest &
Bird Protection Society
20 November 2000
...we formally voice our appreciation of the measures that you and Hugh Barr have taken over this case... we are pleased that your negotiations with the Crown over this were largely successful, and we believe that, through the outcome, an important precedent has been set.
Christchurch
11 October 2000
...my congratulations. The settlement will be very useful and doubtless took hours of negotiations and considerable stress and hard work. Well done and thanks for your efforts on behalf of us all.
Christchurch
10 October 2000
Hurrah - a victory. Your press
release on Mt Hikurangi was the result of much hard work by PANZ
and Dr Barr. Where would we be without people who are prepared
to protect public rights?
Selfish interests are always putting pressure on public land...
Auckland
9 October 2000
Well done Bruce. Both Hugh and you deserve a medal. Enclosed please find a cheque for $100 as a donation towards your expenses.
Levin
9 October 2000
Congratulations and thank you
and Hugh Barr for all your efforts on our behalf in this and similar
issues. It is nice to know we sometimes get a victory. Keep up
the good work.
Gisborne
8 October 2000
The press release would be very
difficult to better it as not only is it an accurate representation
of the facts, but it is pithy and brings out the key points you
have hammered home. Pity about the complimentary comment on Sandra
[Lee] but I guess you had to say something! ...
You have done very, very well...I can see that you have tied up
quite a few loose ends. It seems to me to be a very good outcome...
It concerns me that you are still out of pocket to some extent.
I do feel the local users more than any other group are indebted
to you. I have already spoken to ... about this to see what we
can do.
Many, many thanks for your efforts.
Dunedin
7 October 2000
My sincere congratulations on
this outcome; a most significant one which will undoubtedly set
a valuable
precedent.
Dunedin
24 July 2000
A friend forwarded your great press release in response to Peter Dunne's call for the scrapping of DoC.
I do agree that because of financial strictures, DoC has been forced to prioritize on preservation (and dubious trading), not recreation. Hence the removal of back country facilities like huts and bridges on specious 'OSH' grounds.
Great to see what you've been doing (knew you were doing lots), but only just got on 'electronic' line !
Christchurch
25 December 1998
...At last an organisation that stands for the common man ...having been a gamekeeper on a large Scottish estate where everthing was closed shop, and where people were lucky enough to get on to fish they paid £2400 a fortnight to fish.
I emigrated from the UK and I think New Zealand is the best country in the world to live in and I should know, I have visited 18 different countries...our families emigrated because we were sold on the NZ dream, now (later) after we sold our business and moved our funds to NZ people in the government wish to take away our dream.
We believe all Kiwis should be exported to the UK for 12 months and they must try and carry on the Kiwi way of life. They will soon see that they cant afford to very much because of access charges to private land etc.
There is very little good river fishing. If you can find it you can pay up to £2000 for two weeks salmon fishing, excluding accommodation and food.
New Zealand is unique and we must all fight for it to stay this way...keep up the good work.
Blenheim
20 April 1999
Many thanks for continuing the battle... You have a lot of courage...to continue championing the ordinary "bloke" who lacks the legal skills needed to assess the legal gobbledegook of Government.
I write a few letters from time to time to crazy Ministers, hoping that my bit will help determine how Government is perceived by the average bloke.
I hate what is happening to our country, particularly over the last 15 years. Things like the Employment Contracts Act, the Health Reforms, the Electricity Reforms, and the Roading reforms. Our rights and ownerships are being prostituted on a grand scale by traitors of democracy. God knows how they can sleep at night and call themselves New Zealanders.
I have the utmost admiration for what you do on behalf of the people. And I like to continue to believe that the pen is still mightier than the sword (a great pity that most of our MPs don't fall upon the latter object).
Being born in 1934, I recall the victory over facism in the 1939-45 conflict, and the belief that the world was set for permanent peace, and that Utopia was just around the corner. Now I perceive a very real "enemy within" set on dismantling the very fabric of democracy that so many, in the past, fought for. Its all so unbelievable really...many thanks for your great work.
Napier
7 March 2001
Thanks for your work...keep it up, it is essential for New Zealand.
Marlborough Freshwater Anglers'
Club
Newsletter April 1999
In this day and age of being bashed around by bureaucratic burglers, wouldn't it be loverly if you had a bovver boy to do the knuckle work for you? Well you have!! His name is Bruce Mason of PANZ and he is constantly fighting for your rights. But he is appealing for some help which you can give by joining PANZ, your front-line of defence for recreational freedom. Send your cheque (donations are tax deductable) to Public Access NZ, P.O.Box 17, Dunedin. Thanks! You are helping your fishing freedom.
Blenheim
19 May 2000
Once again I thank you sincerely for the tremendous effort you put in on behalf of the public, and your PANZ supporters. I keep up a few sniping pot-shots at some of the politicians from time to time, but lack the skills to properly analyse a lot of what is actually happening in Bull-Shit Castle.
Your bulletins are excellent and most enlightening, and often frightening!
Naturally, you won't have a lot of friends in Ministerial positions, but you have thousands of unseen friends right around the country. Most of them will never bother to write to you and say "Thanks Bruce" for what you do, so even if I am in a very small minority of supporters, I will self-appoint myself as the Anonymous Supporters Group Of PANZ, and say well done Bruce. Keep up the good work for all of us, and all dinkum Kiwis.
Nelson
24 July 2000
I just want to say thank you, for all the effort you have put in over the years to the cause. Your dedication is inspirational and your effectiveness undisputed!
I appreciate everything you have done to assist public access to public assets for us hunting and fishing sportsmen. Keep up the good work.
Turangi
29 April 1999
In view of the fact that this is an election year and the roading reforms must be stopped I am doubling my donation to $100. Keep up the good work.
A Hastings District Councillor
2 May 1999
Thank you for your complimentary copy of the latest Public Access newsletter titled 'Government lying about road reforms'. I enjoyed the honest content that added to the current rather flat debate.
(no address)
6 May 1999
Came across your April newsletter which was tabled at our Mountain Safety meeting last night. Most impressed with quality, clarity and depth of research. It confirms many of my own findings re gradual erosion of our common law rights in NZ. Maybe I will find out someday who or what is running this country - I have my suspicions but it is certainly not those ineptiziods in the Wellington Puzzle Palace!
...on our guide to election policies
Christchurch
15 November 1999
Party profiles on election excellent. Keep it up.
Remuera
15 November 1999
Your recent mailed material is even better than ever. Congrats
on the highest standard of everything.
Wellington
19 November 1999
I have received a number of calls in response to your 1999 election
guide, which at least proves that people are reading the publication.
However, all the calls have been very critical that the ranking
of the parties is totally biased and bears no relationship to
the answers actually given to the questionnaire.
Most criticism has been centred at the ranking relating to road reforms...
I fully appreciate that national's policy, if fully implemented, would have the potential to create significant difficulties for the recreational lobby, but before responding to those who have contacted me, I would be pleased to have your comments justifying the marking system.
Our reply
I am most disturbed that you have received a number of calls that
are very critical of the ranking PANZ gave to party policies,
that this was "totally biased" and "bearing NO
relationship to the answers actually given to the questionnaire".
I have to disagree entirely with the first criticism, but partly agree with the second as an observation, but not as a criticism.
I am disturbed because I went to quite a lot of trouble to avoid bias, and also to explain in our newsletter the basis for our assessment, which I repeat here -
"We ranked parties' policies according to their 'access friendliness'. This was a weighted appraisal which was influenced by-
1. how closely the policies coincide with PANZ's objectives (the protection / enhancement of access through public ownership and management of recreational resources);
2. their specificity or ambiguity;
3. contradictory policies, or actions;
4. the absence of policies in important areas;
5. PANZ's research".
I think the concerns may have arisen due to focusing on the questionnaire alone, when clearly our brief was much wider.
The answers to the questionnaire were only part of our assessment and had to be measured against other policies or actions, in particular contradictory ones.
I understand there is particular concern at my low ranking of National on road reforms. Of course our ranking doesn't reflect National's answers to our questionnaire. That is because their answers are almost completely contradicted by their ACTUAL policies or intent as spelt out in their Cabinet papers and draft Road Bill. These have been subject to detailed analysis by myself, and presentation in our last newsletter. In short National's answers to this aspect of the questionnaire are not believable.
As a research-based advocate for outdoor users PANZ would be doing our supporters an injustice if we ignored what our investigations have revealed, and instead accepted at face value what some politicians would like us all to believe just before an election!
For the benefit of your concerned callers, and any others with similar concerns, I have put on the PANZ web site a fuller explanation of the ranking process.
Thank you for bringing these concerns to my attention.
Bruce Mason, Researcher
Upper Hutt
30 November 1999
Please keep up the good fightI know how hard it must be for your
battling of Government etc all the time - while the average Joe
Blow just sits back and watches.
Paeroa
30 November 1999
Thanks for the good work you are doing for those New Zealanders
who love the outdoors for the use of all New Zealanders.