Public Access Easements
Public access easements (PAEs) are a specific form of public access created under the Crown Forest Assets Act 1989 to establish and protect public access rights.
The easements were over Crown Forest Licences, which were established in the early 1990s. These licences enable the Crown to grow and sell its commercial forestry and also keep the land for future Tiriti o Waitangi settlements. The two ministers responsible for implementing this legislation are the Minister for State Owned Enterprises and the Minister of Finance.
When the land transfers from the Crown to an iwi, the iwi controls all the decisions about the land. The public access rights usually remain, even if the iwi sells the land.
There are a number of PAEs within the TPFL forest estate that provide access to public conservation land as per the following table:
| Access | Forest | Road Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Nevis Track | Waimea Forest | Ben Nevis Road | On foot, bicycle, horseback motorcycle or motor vehicle access during daylight hours only. |
| Ben Nevis Track | Waimea Forest | Boundary Road | On foot or bicycle access during daylight hours only. No horse, motorcycle or motor vehicle access for safety reasons. |
| Sharlands Creek | Hira Forest | Sharlands Road | On foot or bicycle access only. No horse, motorcycle or motor vehicle* access for safety reasons. |
| Central Road | Hira Forest | Central Road | On foot or bicycle access only. No horse, motorcycle or motor vehicle* access for safety reasons. |
* Motor vehicle access by TPFL permit only.
Please refer to the Harenga ā Nuku/the Outdoor Access Commission website for maps - Outdoor access maps (WAMS) | Herenga ā Nuku Aotearoa, the Outdoor Access Commission
As the licensee or landowner, TPFL may close PAEs for the following reasons:
During the hours of darkness.
For safety reasons – to protect the public from risks associated with our forest operations or other hazards that may be present.
To protect trees, buildings, plant and equipment or related items on the land.
A TPFL permit is not required to use the PAEs provided they are open.
For the open/closure status of PAEs within the TPFL forest estate please refer to Forest Closures.