Outdoors Party News May 2021

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For Future Generations

MAY 2021 Newsletter

Image above. The three Sisters at Tongaporutu, North Taranaki. Please enable view images in your email program.

Update from President

AGM details May 15th. Nelson

Wild deer run rampant

New Organisation to tackle Water & Poison

New Draconian Freedom Camping Rules Proposed

Press Release on Fish & Game review

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A big hi to all members, all supporters. and a very warm welcome to the large number of new members who have joined in the last month.

I feel the first winds of autumn blowing, in fact winter is in the air. This time last year we were in a lockdown due to covid-19 and the consequences are still with us. Autumn also is a prime time for many outdoors pursuits particularly fishing and hunting so please bear with us if this edition does not cover off your particular interest.

Next month we will have a lot to report regarding a number of other issues suddenly coming to fruition. Autumn brings with it the prime hunting season of the year for many hunters and I have had lots of reports of excellent hunting this April with many putting fresh wild meat in their freezers for the winter. People in parts of NZ especially in rural areas rely on wild meat and fish to feed their families and unfortunately the government is determined to poison all non native animals in NZ and send us off to the supermarket. Next up is the Wellington area with the Aktarawa and Tararua mountains being poisoned. This is very disturbing as these wilderness areas are much used by people in the Southern North Island for not just hunting but tramping and fishing. A number of pure rivers flow out of these mountains that are important sources of water for a number of of towns and cities. The Outdoors Party is very active in trying to stop these drops and Alan & Sue met with Maori leaders to advise them on what they could do.

Fishing has been pretty lean for me from the shore with the large schools of Kahawai missing from our coastal areas. Over harvest of our fishery continues to be a problem denied by government as they continue to protect the big commercial fishing companies from any meaningful revamp of the dreadful system we have allowed to rape and pillage our fisheries.

We have so many challenges coming at us from every direction. The freedom Camping legislation review, Gun Ownership review, drinking water review, no jab no job regulations passed for 30th April, Submission on the electoral act, excessive nitrates in drinking water, digital communications bill and new definition of a terrorist are just a few we are dealing with.

On a brighter note membership continues to climb at a great rate and I am so pleased to welcome many new members to the party. We are here to represent your views and as a registered party we are listened to and get some traction from time to time.

Now is the time to build towards the next election and much of this planning will take place at our AGM in Nelson 15th May. A conference agenda is listed below.

Our secretary Jenn has worked very hard to comply with all the electoral commission requirements after the election and we owe her a great deal of gratitude for her dedication.

Cheers

Alan Simmons. President.

You are invited to the AGM

The AGM of the NZ Outdoors Party will be held at the Wakatu Hotel 83 Collingwood Street, Nelson. Saturday 15th May 2021 starting at 11.30am.

The Wakatu Hotel has budget accommodation available onsite at great prices, all with in room facilities. A kitchen is also available if wanted.

Double room – 1 x double bed – $65 per night

Twin Room – 2 x single beds – $65 per night

Quad room – 2 x Bunks, sleeps 4 $119 per night (approx. $30 each)

Email Craig to book accommodation. wakatuhotel@gmail.com

Directly across the road is the Quest for anyone who wants other accommodation.

Anyone arriving Friday we can pickup from the airport so let us know if you need a pickup.

On the Saturday morning we encourage everyone to take in the Nelson Market in the center of town. This is one of the best markets in new Zealand.

We will meet up back at the conference venue at 11.30 am for a meet and greet session with a light lunch at 12pm.

The AGM proper will begin at 1pm and a separate agenda will be forwarded to you.

We have some excellent guest speakers lined up and entertainment in the evening after dinner.

AGM will finish ate 5pm and drinks will be available with a sit down Dinner at 6pm in the Conference center restaurant.

Entertainmet will compliment the evening until the wee hours...

On Sunday morning Nga Kaitiaki Tuku Iho Inc. have asked to have a short meeting while we are all there to help them constitute their poison and water action groups. While they are a separate organisation their is a degree of crossover amongst those who will be present.

Sunday morning also will be an option for those who stay on to participate in an activity yet to be announced.

Image. Firey sunsets are a regular feature of Nelson.

Deer Running Rampant on Banks Peninsular

We noted an emotive article in the news last week regarding deer running rampant on Banks Peninsular The article Why this was of interest was that we discussed this back in 2012. And the problem then and still is that they have a NO hunting rule so the population just builds up until someone notices and then the authorities destroy everything in an attempt to get rid of them... Not just the deer but everything as they take the easy way and aerially drop deadly poison. The situation is easily resolved let responsible hunters get the fresh meat to feed their families. But here we are 9 years later!!!!

New Organization formed to take proceedings on health, water and poisons.

Many members are seriously concerned about the constant chipping away of our freedoms and or the lack of action on a number of issues. Nga Kaitiaki Tuku Iho inc. is an organisation set up to begin court proceedings around the issues of health, water and poisons. Currently they are engaged in proceedings around the actions of the Minister of Health and are now building a case around nitrates in rivers and waterways. We support them in every way. Check out https://www.kti.org.nz

Freedom Camping Reforms

The government seem determined to continue to screw the freedom camping rules to the extent that many ordinary kiwis will be restricted to commercial camp grounds which are often well away from the area they want to fish, hunt or just lie in the sun. This is an issue around freedom of rights and the ability to enjoy our beautiful country. The problem was not bought on by us Kiwis, the problem began with the government itself advertising overseas that the world could come here and freedom camp at will. So they came in huge numbers upsetting local communities which resulted in rushed legislation and local council rules. Even us kiwis were shut out of our favorite places. So next we had what I call parking nasties who shine lights in campers windows late at night and issue infringement notices for $200.00. Since then the excessively high tourist numbers have disapeared and remote NZ has been claimed back by Kiwis. However the Government is talking about vehicle confiscation and pretty much restricting overnight stopping in your vehicle. Unless your vehicle has met their new rules for self containment. Like the need to have a three days toilet holding tank and that it be of a stand up height. We feel that if a proper toilet is nearby then people should be able to stay one night without harassment. People need to read the proposed changes and comment on them by the 16th May or by next summer more parking nasties will be trying to stop your enjoyment and lighten your wallet or even confiscate your vehicle.

Download the full discussion document here

Download a summary document here.

Fish & Game Review.

We put out a press statement concerning this review findings and it is copied below for you to read or you can read it on the parties website.

Press Release 5/05/2021

Government Takeover of Fish and Game will be hotly challenged by 100,000 license holders. A call For Action!

The NZ Outdoors Party is very concerned by the newly released recommendations of the Fish and Game review two person panel set up by Eugenie Sage when she was Conservation Minister.

“They need full, open and proper debate and should not be undemocratically bull-dozed through,” says NZ Outdoors Party President Alan Simmons. “I am alarmed at the cavalier dictatorial approach of the current Fish and Game chair Rainsford (Ray) Grubb who was quoted on Radio NZ as saying national fish and game council would begin voluntarily enacting the recommendations before the 150,000 plus fish and game public have time to consider the consequences of the recommendations".

Fish and Game is well known to the NZ Outdoors Party President, Alan Simmons who was one of the 12 foundation Councillors of Fish and Game setting up the organization on behalf of the minister in 1989, and went on to become an elected NZ Councillor for 4 years and then sat the Eastern Region council for 11 years.

"There has always been a difficult relationship between Fish and Game and the government "says Alan Simmons. " The Department of Conservation who are legislatively responsible for Fish and Game concentrate on managing native species and seem to have lost their resolve to advocate for freshwater. DOC with an anti-introduced species phobia, consider trout, salmon and game birds as intruders and conflict will always be a problem.”

Underlying any Fish and Game internal administration and management has been the vexed question of centralisation. Even in the early 1990s, soon after fish and game councils were introduced it soon became obvious that a problem would always exist between the NZ Council whose role was to co ordinate the 12 regional councils and the regional councils whose role was to manage the resources, he says.

One of the recommendations is that the NZ Councillors needed to be elected as independent board members as it should have been from the beginning but the legislation made them an appointee of the region resulting in regional control over the NZ Council.

“But that’s over to Fish and Game to remedy and does not justify a state trespassing and takeover as the review seems to make a push for,” he says.

"The reports proposal to reduce the regions from 12 to 6 and sharing expertise between regions is a good one" Alan Simmons said "but the proposal to reduce the number of elected Councillors from 12 to 4 with another 4 to be appointed by the minister can only be seen as an audacious and arrogant takeover of this user-say, user- pay organization by this government."

Fish and Game has a long historic tradition of managing game birds and freshwater fishing since the introduction of fish and birds to NZ in the 1800's via the European settler formed Acclimatisation Societies. Fish and Game had been at times strong advocates for environment issues most notably with Water Conservation order protections for the public’s rivers in the face of government exploitation.

"Many of the environmental wins we currently have now were hard fought for by the old Acclimatisation societies and as an example the current protection and purity of many river headwaters came about as a result of river conservation orders hard fought for and funded by the trout and salmon fishing public over the past years. “

Most of the wetlands still intact were either purchased or saved by hunters. Most of these would not exist today such as the Kaituna wetland purchased by fund raising sausage sizzles and generous donations by the Tauranga Acclimatisation Society.

“I was on the Acclimatization Society council in the 1970's and recall vividly the hard fought campaigns to save what are now treasured places,’ he says..

One of the legislative roles of Fish and Game has been advocacy around clean water and this has consumed a lot of anglers funds without any input from Government who abdicated their role in "clean water” while allowing Federated farmers to engage in a concerted war on Fish And Game because they did not like Fish and Game's advocacy on dirty dairying. This extensive prejudiced criticism by Federated Farmers to the review panel helped convince the minister to holding the review while Fish and Game were really carrying out its responsibilities as required of them under the Conservation act.

He says there are deep concerns around government appointees.

“Will they be mere puppets for the government of the day bearing in mind environmental threats to wetlands and waterways invariably come from government? Also of concern is the requirement under the conservation act that Fish and Game Councillors cannot be paid for their time and work thus begging the question that if government appointees were assigned to councils would they be paid and not the other four Councillors? “

Alan Simmons says if everyone was to be paid then the cost of fishing and hunting licenses would have to double and become unaffordable to lower income New Zealanders, thus destroying the egalitarian tradition of fishing and hunting sports being available to all.

"Anglers and hunters need to stand up and decide as to whether they accept the review report’s recommendations effectively for a government takeover or fight off yet another government attempt and there have been many over the years.

The New Zealand Outdoors Party will not be a party to the appointment of government stooges to the Fish and Game councils when the whole organisation is funded entirely by license holders' money. It was set up as a "user pays-user says" organisation and so it should continue,” he says.

Contact: Alan Simmons

0274 980 304

Thanks for reading and your continued support. Please also try to attend the AGM in Nelson 15th May and most of all make sure you take advantage of this beautiful Autumn weather to enjoy the great Outdoors.

If their is anything you would like to contribute to the next newsletter please send it to me..

Cheers

Alan

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NZ Outdoors Party
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Authorised by Jenn Haakma, Secretary, 117 Allen Rd. RD1 Broadands. Reporoa, 3081