Originally Posted by
Ross Nolan
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What does interest me is the role of the Federated Mountain Clubs in all of this. Early on reached out to their local rep and received an answer essentially saying we aren't looking to upset the adjacent land owners. She has asked me to keep the details of the email private, but the tone of the correspondence was not at all what I would have expected from a group who have among their stated aims (taken from their website)
all New Zealanders should have free and enabling access to all public land.
FMC will promote the connectivity of public land
where land under non-public tenure, including Crown pastoral lease, separates public land from public access then, following consultation, provision should be made for practical and enduring public access to the public land.
Elsewhere they claim to keep an eye on DOC and the Government, and I take this quote directly from their Vice Presidents online bio - it seems especially apt here
This work has taught me that our conservation estate is managed by often-unaccountable officials,
behind closed doors and sometimes without, necessarily, recourse to the relevant policies or laws.
Finally, while I wonder if it is possible to separate the self appointed guardians of the conservation estate (Public lands, that is - owned by all New Zealanders) from being too intertwined with DOC, and thus concerned with their income as it is a small country, and there is always going to be the same people involved (I know that many DOC staff are there because they really do care).
I am struck by the VERY conciliatory attitude of the Rotorua rep, and note from her FMC bio that her day job is contracting to the Backcountry Trust - a group who do excellent work that should be applauded by all users of the land we all value and love. Digging a tiny bit into the backcountry Trust website give this regarding funding -
Sponsors
We are primarily funded by DOC, but are also supported by a select band of like-minded corporate sponsors to whom we are very grateful. (Italics mine)
I am in an industry that is pretty much entirely to do with government funding one way or another - water and waste water. As a result I have to moderate my public utterances on various subjects - Three Waters, for example, for I know that it could have a direct effect on my ability to win projects, pay my staff and buy my groceries.
I wonder if this applies to other fields as well? I wonder how other folks manage the conflict between their desire to do good and their need to not offend their paymaster?
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