1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: Bryan Bridge. Three thousand hectares of land at the top 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: of the South Island is returning to Mardi ownership. This 3 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:08,719 Speaker 1: is not a treaty settlement thing. It is land though 4 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: that the Crown promised to a group of v We 5 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: and their descendants way back in the eighteen forties. It 6 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:18,159 Speaker 1: includes the abel Tasman Great Walk, Tama Portuka is the 7 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: Ministry of Conservation with me live good evening. 8 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 2: Hey curt mate, and Merry Christmas to you. Three thousand 9 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:26,599 Speaker 2: hectares have been confirmed in the ownership. That's what the 10 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 2: court said. It never went out of ownership. 11 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: Great point of clarification. So who so does that mean 12 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 1: that Maori have always owned the able Tasman Great Walk 13 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 1: and will continue to own. 14 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 2: There are parts of the Great Walk and part of 15 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 2: parts of the top of the South Island which the 16 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 2: owners own. The court confirmed that. And now we have 17 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 2: reached arrangements on a range of matters. 18 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: What are those arrangements? Can will we have always be 19 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: able to walk on it? Everyone? 20 00:00:55,440 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 2: Yes, public access has been confirmed for the park for 21 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 2: the next twenty five years. There's a confidential arrangement that 22 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:05,960 Speaker 2: goes with that, but it enables us to enjoy that 23 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 2: wondrous and iconic place. We all love it. Anyone who's 24 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 2: been there thinks it's beautiful, and anyone who hasn't needs 25 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:12,759 Speaker 2: to go. 26 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 1: What happens after twenty five years, Oh. 27 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 2: There'll be some discussions as we go forward. Of course, 28 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 2: DOC and the owners of that land will want to 29 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 2: work together to make sure that the tracks and good 30 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:26,480 Speaker 2: maintenance and good seed and the huts of course, and 31 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:28,680 Speaker 2: at near the end of the twenty five years there'll 32 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 2: be discussion about continuing with arrangements. 33 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:33,320 Speaker 1: So does DOC look after it for the next twenty 34 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: five years. 35 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 2: Yes, it'll be seamless. There will be no change in 36 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,479 Speaker 2: the public facing interaction by the public with the track 37 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 2: and with the Department Conservation. There might be a couple 38 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 2: of improvements along the way, like a bit more cultural 39 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 2: identities and cultural markets around. 40 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 1: And who pays for all this, like who's paying for 41 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: the upkeep of the track and for the next twenty 42 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: five years and for the maintenance and all that stuff. 43 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 2: Well, Doc's had a free use of the track for many, 44 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 2: many years, and Doc canntinues to maintain the track as 45 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 2: well and will continue to do this. As I said, 46 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 2: there's a change in the ownership, a change in the title, 47 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 2: but the management, the upkeep, the maintenance will be continued 48 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 2: by DOC. 49 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 1: Okay for twenty five years. 50 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 2: For the next twenty five years. There'll be discussions along 51 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 2: the way, and those will be done in good face. 52 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: And are we going to pay rent? Doc going to 53 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:19,639 Speaker 1: be I mean, will we be paying money to the 54 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: group of EWE in order to use the track? 55 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 2: Well, there are arrangements from place around a number of issues. 56 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 2: Those arrangements remain confidential. I think you'll be aware that 57 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 2: the group representing the owners is a private trust and 58 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 2: those arrangements remain confidential. 59 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: Does that cost get passed on to the users? 60 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 2: Well, the interaction with the track by users. There are 61 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 2: some payments that are made for the huts already and 62 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 2: for camp sites. 63 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: Will they go down there? 64 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 2: Your note? Well, I don't think that's what's going to happen. 65 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:59,239 Speaker 2: But public access is has been guaranteed. 66 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: It's guaranteed. But will it cost more? 67 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:05,359 Speaker 2: Well, I think you know as much as I did 68 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 2: it last year. We made we had some discussions about 69 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 2: DOC becoming a little bit more prudent financially. We're so 70 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 2: right across the country. There are changes from time to 71 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 2: time around hut fees and campground fees, and those happened 72 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 2: on a regular basis as business as usual, right. 73 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: But there'll be no specific change or extra charge for 74 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 1: able tessment as a result of this deal. 75 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 2: That's an operational matter and I leave it for operational matter, 76 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 2: the operational management of DOC. 77 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: What's your expectation as a minister? 78 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 2: My expectation and what has been confirmed, is that there 79 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 2: will be public access. 80 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:43,119 Speaker 1: To the track at what cost? Do you not care? 81 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 2: No? What I've said to you, Ryan, is that for 82 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 2: huts and camp sites, there are costs across the country 83 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 2: for various huts and campsites on various trackstically for the 84 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 2: Great particularly for the we're. 85 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: Not paying rent, but we're not paying rent the land 86 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: on which we're walking on most tracks, are we So 87 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 1: this is quite a particular situation. So have you not 88 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 1: asked the question will the cost go up or not? 89 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 2: But Ryan, most Great walks DOC owns most of the land. 90 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 2: This is a different situation exactly, and the land has 91 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 2: actually owned Some of the land is owned by the 92 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 2: Crown and some of the land is owned by private landowners. So, 93 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 2: as I said before, public access has been guaranteed. There 94 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 2: are already charges for the use of huts and campsites 95 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 2: throughout the country at various National parks and Great walks. 96 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:37,480 Speaker 2: In other matters, all. 97 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,479 Speaker 1: Right, Claire is mud Tuma appreciate that Tama Putaka Minister 98 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 1: of Conservation. For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen 99 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 1: live to news Talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, 100 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.