Photo (c) Chris Tuffley.

Kia ora koutou,

It's been a busy and productive year for FMC.

The assault on the environment and on the places we hold dear continues under the current government, and we are absolutely committed to getting the best outcomes so people can continue to enjoy our wild places on nature's terms.

I'd like to extend my sincere thanks to our FMC executive team, all of whom are volunteers and work tirelessly to ensure the voice of our community is heard and our wild places remain accessible for all to enjoy. Thank you also to our small team of employees, who are the glue that holds together the collective volunteer effort. Thanks also to our funders, member clubs, individual supporters and other partners we have worked alongside during the year.

I hope you are all enjoying well-earned time in the hills and with people you love over the Kirihimete and New Years period. When you are out adventuring, make good decisions, take care of your fellow outdoorspeople, leave no trace and remember to sign the hut logbook whenever you pass through!

See you in the hills!

Megan

Nelson Tramping Club members at Salisbury Lodge. Photo (c) Michelle Cunningham. 

A big thank you to everyone who participated in the Love our Huts campaign and has sent us photos and a filled-in checklist!

Even though the campaign is officially over, we do not want to stand between you and your hut-loving activities this summer. We're still receiving reports from trips that some of you have done in December. It's amazing to see so much enthusiasm for continuing this campaign.

So, please do register your hut visit, if you are planning more hut visits this summer. We are keeping all the documents you need and the registration form live on our website.

If you haven't already, join the Love our Huts FB Group – it's a home of good vibes and kaitiakitanga for our backcountry.

Waking up to the news that the Fast Track Approvals Bill has been passed into law this month was truly disheartening.

While the ministerial decision-making power has been removed from the bill, the law serves no purpose in protecting the environment. It also strips away the public's right to have a say in major projects.
The lack of transparency and the conflicts of interest that emerged during the bill's drafting are deeply troubling. This does not reflect the principles of a healthy democracy or fair governance.

We are now focusing on gathering as much information as possible about the projects with potential recreational impacts. If you have any information about these projects, we would appreciate if you could share that information with us. We're also welcoming any photos of the areas that might be affected by these projects - the Morgan Gorge and the Doolans for example.

Please email eo@fmc.org.nz

Public land and nature should be accessible to all, not just the wealthy. Photo (c) Euan Robinson.

The Department of Conservation is hosting online public webinars on proposals for access charges to conservation land and changes to the concession process as part of the Government's Conservation Law reform.

The online webinars will be hosted in the last two weeks of January – register for these via the below links if you wish to attend:

Tuesday 21 January, 5.30 pm - 7 pm (on concession process)
Wednesday 29 January, 12 pm - 1.30 pm (on concession process)

Wednesday 22 January, 12.30 pm – 1.30 pm (on access charges)
Tuesday 28 January, 5.30 pm – 6.30 pm (on access charges)

The Government is seeking feedback on these proposals. Submissions close at 5 pm on 28 February 2025. Please, visit the DOC webpage for details.

We strongly oppose access charges and are preparing our submissions on both consultations. We encourage you to submit your views too and support our efforts to keep public land accessible for all.

With the Government's announcement of Conservation Law reform and the Fast Track Approvals bill becoming law, we are concerned about the impacts of these legislative changes for the future of public conservation land.

DOC is considering new management approaches for conservation land, including access charges and revised concession processes. We are researching these issues and will also attend DOC’s free webinars in January to help us prepare our recommendations.

This month, we made a submission on the Te Tai o Poutini West Coast Conservation Management Strategy Review and requested a meeting with DOC to discuss it further. We also submitted feedback on DOC’s proposals to charge for bivvies and basic huts, revise campsite prices, and add huts to the hut booking system, clearly outlining our support, concerns and constructive suggestions.

With Palliser Bay Station on the market, we wrote to four Ministers highlighting the opportunities of access through the station to Aorangi Forest Park, if sold to an overseas buyer.

New Zealand is a land of extreme landscapes, most of which are public lands. FMC is once again fighting to ensure our public lands remain public forever.

Don’t forget to pack your camera if you’re heading out into our public lands this holiday season! Any photo taken within a public space in New Zealand that you think is under threat of being lost to the public or has already suffered from an excessive human impact can compete for an additional prize. It might be closed access to your favourite bush or a once wild river, now diminished or dammed...

The annual theme is designed to encourage photography relating to a topical issue that FMC is battling for. So find yourself a nook in one of New Zealand's many wild and public places and capture some evocative images of this magnificent and (currently) poorly protected part of Aotearoa.

D2U is the Backcountry magazine 'Direct to You' service that provides the magazine posted directly to a member of an FMC club as soon as it is printed.

The price has not been increased since the inception of D2U in 2020, but printing and postage costs have increased significantly since then. We still want to make the physical Backcountry magazine as accessible to as many people as possible, while covering the associated costs, so in March 2025 we will be increasing the price to $25/year. You can still sign up here before the end of March at the current price.

Note that D2U subscribers receive their FMC discount card from their club.

FMC Executive Board and staff are taking a bit of a break during the festive period and are looking forward to seeing you out in the hills.

We will close the office on Tuesday 24 December 2024 and reopen on Monday 13 January 2025. Phone messages and emails will be responded to after the office reopens.

We wish everyone joyful festive days ahead and a wonderful and safe summer in the hills!

As we move through our wild lands and our lives, we try to tread lightly. Sometimes, that means resisting the urge to accumulate more “things” – physical objects of fleeting desires that don’t quite capture the spirit of what we really cherish.

If this resonates with you, but you still feel the pressure of gift-giving this Christmas, why not give something truly wild instead? By donating to FMC on behalf of your loved ones who share a love for our wild places or gifting them an FMC membership, you’re giving a gift that makes a real difference.

Your contribution will help support our work protecting New Zealand's magnificent natural public places, currently under threat. And you’ll rest easy knowing that your gift helps protect the very wild lands that inspire us all.

“We must closely guard the welfare of our National Parks and Reserves. These should not be regarded as the property of our minister or the government. They belong to the people of today and tomorrow. We must fight for their protection if necessary.” Fred Vosseler – Inaugural FMC President (1932)

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