Farmers lock public out

By CHERIE TAYLOR in Paradise Valley
Ask Neil Heather if you can fish on his farm and he'll happily let you but don't let him catch you there without permission.

If you do trespass on his land the Paradise Valley drystock farmer will soon move you.

Today Mr Heather is joining thousands of Federated Farmers members tying up external gates with orange tape for the next week as a protest against the Government's proposed access policy.

Three generations of the Heather family have owned 310ha of land in the valley since 1925 with the two streams running through it providing prime fishing for anglers.

Mr Heather said he allowed people on his farm if they asked but was against any move to allow them to walk "willy nilly" across his land for Occupational Safety and Health, farm management and environmental reasons.

"I need to keep track of who is on my property. We have to manage our resources and nurse them for the future. There are physical limitations and you can only confidently allow five people to fish at any one time."

It was important for people to be aware of any dangers rural life posed before venturing on to farms, said Mr Heather.

A warning sign is nailed to his gate.

"You need to tell people where the boundaries are and where they can and can't go," he said. "It's more than a safety issue. It's about being the boss of your own home. This is private property and people need to respect that."

People also needed to respect any freedom they were given by land owners, the farmer said.

One family who were given permission to picnic near the river "forgot" their rubbish when they left.

"They wondered why I wouldn't let them on the next time. People leave gates open and I'm the one at fault if stock is found wandering on the road," he said.

In the past his implement shed has been broken in to and fences broken by people climbing them instead of walking through gates.

Tauranga's Peter Simmonds and his fishing companion Gordon Wills have been reeling in trout on the farm for the past 20 years and are both against the planned policy.

"A man owns the farm and he has no rights at all. Townies don't know about farms," said Mr Simmonds.

The pair are so welcome on the Heather's farm they have built a small cabin near the stream.

However, they know the importance of telling the farmer they are on the property. Once while scaling a fence Mr Simmonds broke his leg. Moving stock, it was Mr Heather who found him lying in heavy scrub.

"I could have been there for days," he said.

Paradise Valley resident Hans Hofstee , who also does a spot of fishing in the stream running through the Heather's farm, said he wouldn't like to see people given the right to roam on farmland.

"It's a crazy thing to do. A lot of fishermen don't agree with this because they know how important it is to protect public resources," he said.

Newly elected, Rotorua/Taupo Federated Farmers of New Zealand president Gifford McFadden agrees with the Paradise Valley farmer and the fishermen.

Farmers needed to be able to manage their businesses without interference, said McFadden.

"Farmers need to keep their farms stock proof and that can't be guaranteed while people can roam through paddocks leaving gates open.

"Farmers won't be able to control people taking guns, motorbikes and dogs on their properties. If people misbehave, the farmer can do very little."