The Rod Donald Trust hosted a well-attended seminar and panel discussion at Kaituna Homestead on June 9 to help landowners better understand where liability for health and safety falls when walkers cross their land on public walking tracks. Walking Access Commission helped us assemble a panel of experts to present the current legislation and answer the curly questions from landowners. The key messages of the day were; the Health and Safety at Work Act 2016 is principally aimed at workers, and that in the rural environment the “workplace” is a bubble around the farm buildings or where active work is taking place; does not apply to stock grazing in paddocks; visitors walking on tracks are largely responsible for their own decisions and safety.
The Trust was asked to help develop and provide common signage across Peninsula walking tracks and to look into issues around unformed legal roads. A full report from the day will be released as soon as possible – watch this space. A huge thank you to our panel of Geoff Holgate and Ric Cullinane – Walking Access Commission, Donna Burt – Worksafe, Ashley-Jayne Lodge – Cavell Leitch, Andy Thompson – Department of Conservation, Lynda Murchison – Federated Farmers; to Kaituna Homestead for making the event so pleasant and to our many landowners who attended.