Looking to the future

How can the New Zealand Walking Access Commission improve the way it engages with the public? In this column, Board Member Mike Barnett shares his thoughts on the way forward.

The Commission has successfully completed its development phase, creating the Walking Access Mapping System, building relationships with farmers, outdoor activity groups and local government and developing a regional field advisor network.

The question for the Commission now is: what does success look like in the future and how can we most effectively communicate it?

Most New Zealanders do not yet know about the Commission and its activities and services. This is perhaps not surprising given the Commission's small budget. However, the Commission may need to move in new directions or communicate differently to better raise awareness.

Most New Zealanders take access for granted and, to date, the Commission's achievements and the type of work it does may not be enough to guarantee wide recognition by the public generally.

What actions can the Commission take to broaden its appeal and communicate more widely? Would its appeal increase if it were to emphasise activities such as facilitating new walking and cycle trails within cities and from town to town?

These projects, close to urban centres, are popular and may benefit from additional support as they are often difficult to develop and can take decades to complete. While more thought may need to be given to these kinds of opportunities in the future, what is clear now is that the Commission needs to focus even more on effective ways to engage people. This may require more resourcing, either through partnerships with other organisations or from other sources.

A national stakeholder forum in September 2013 told the Commission that it needed to tell the public more about what it does and why.

The Commission has heard this call and will introduce new ways of communicating. In the past, the Commission's print newsletter has been a key form of communication. It was well received and served its purpose. However, the popularity of e-newsletters and other forms of electronic communication such as social media, mean they are likely to be the way forward for the Commission's communications activity.