I can provide a lot of evidence why D.O.C deserve this award, but I will begin with a personal experience. Many years ago, I had a telephone conversation with a staff member at D.O.C in which I said I wanted greater access for elderly on our mountains.
The D.O.C staffer responded that there were no access problems and that elderly and disabled people were free to go where any other New Zealander could.
I told him that this was not true. Physically-disabled people are, by definition, physically disabled and this limits where they can go. To get into the mountains they need structures to assist them.
He did not believe me. He told me that there was an 80-year-old in his tramping club who regularly walked up the mountains and, if anyone could not do the same as him, it was because they were lazy. They did not deserve to be on the mountains.
I tried to explain to him that my mother was in her 80s and, although she was not disabled, she had never possessed the physical capabilities to climb a mountain. He didn’t believe me and said it wasn’t too late for her to climb a mountain.
I said “she is 80, she cannot climb a mountain”.
He responded “She could hire an airplane”.
I said “She is on a pension and cannot afford to hire an airplane.
His response was “if she really wanted to, she would find a way to get on a mountain”.
Sadly, I recently had a similar conversation with another D.O.C worker who said to me straight “I don’t believe there are any barriers to accessibility”.
The level of ignorance was astounding!
New Zealand possesses a significant resource in the Southern Alps, but our so-called alpine villages are not on the mountains. They are in the basins and valleys below the mountains. Our snow line is about 1200 metres but Hanmer Springs sits at 338m, Mt Cook village at 750m and Queenstown at 300m. The snow-line and higher mountains are restricted to physically-active people who can climb, tramp and ski on the mountains however, not everyone can do that and they are denied an alpine experience.
The UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities
On the 25th September 2008, the New Zealand government ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Article 9 of this convention refers explicitly to accessibility and…
…calls for State Parties to take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have equal access to the physical environment, information, transportation and other facilities and services open or provided to the public. It also calls for the elimination of obstacles and barriers to accessibility, including all transportation and facilities
To date, the barriers for disabled people to enjoy the alpine environment have not been removed. Disabled people need assistance to get to the snow line or a mountain top. This requires building structures to help them. The Southern Alps are bigger in area than the Swiss and Austrian Alps combined but we have nowhere the disabled can access a genuine alpine environment on a mountain.
Disabled people can get alpine views at an altitude of 812 metres at the top of the Queenstown gondola and while the gondola itself has wheel chair access, their website says “Unfortunately, the walking tracks outside the complex and the Moonlight Theatre are not wheelchair accessible”. It is also well-below a genuine alpine environment which starts at about 1200 metres and becomes more beautiful as you rise.
Many New Zealanders suffer from health issues that restrict their mobility. These may include injuries, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, amputation, multiple sclerosis, infection, diabetes, arthritis, pulmonary disease, heart disease, leg fractures, strokes, morbid obesity, trauma, and multiple sclerosis.
We tend to associate disability with the use of aids such as crutches, canes, walking frames, wheelchairs, orthotic appliances and artificial limbs. However, many people have non-visible disabilities. These can include respiratory disorders, heart and lung disease, epilepsy and cancer. These disabilities may not be obvious to the average D.O.C warden but they “can be very disabling and seriously affect the person’s quality of life.” The majority of people with a mobility impairment are not dependent on a wheelchair.
Even without injury, growing old is linked to disability due to changes in our bodies as we age. This includes loss in muscle strength and mass, less mobile and stiffer joints, as well as gait changes affecting a person's balance.
Statistics from 2001 revealed that an estimated 743,800 New Zealanders had a disability, representing 20 percent or 1 in 5. Over half of those (that were living in households) had multiple disabilities. The rate of multiple disabilities increased with age, the highest numbers being in the 65–74 and 75 and over age groups. An estimated 29 percent of people aged 65–74 had mobility difficulties, and a massive 51% of people aged 75 and over.
An Example of how disabled people are blocked under current legislation
I personally put together an idea for an attraction that had mobility-impaired clients at its heart. It would be based at altitude in the Southern alps. The location I decided on was Hill 991 north of Castle Hill in the Craigieburn region. Hill 991 has arguably the best view in the region yet, with only a 1.5km of extra un-sealed road needed, it can be accessed by vehicles (thanks to the pre-existence of ski-field roads). From the car park, mobility-impaired clients could be taken to the top by a mini cable-car.
At the top, there would be restaurant/retail/bathroom facilities but, most important was an alpine walkway carefully designed to provide spectacular views and enjoy the alpine environment. The walkway would not be a normal track but carefully designed to accommodate mobility-impaired people, including wheel chairs.
It would be an adventure for all the family. Disabled and elderly family-members do not need to stay at home. They will feel a sense of connection with a landscape that all New Zealanders should be able to enjoy. Finally, I hoped this venture will wake up some government departments that currently throw scraps to the mobility impaired. As the United Nations state:
The impact of accessible tourism thus goes beyond the tourist beneficiaries to the wider society, engraining accessibility into the social and economic values of society…
The Department of Conservation have done a great job developing this area as a source of recreation. This area is already characterised by four ski-fields, two ice rinks and tracks for walkers and mountain bikers. There are a number of lodges and there is a village. But what is missing? All these activities are for mobility-abled people. There are no activities for the mobility impaired.
Building an attraction for disabled people is much more expensive than a proposal for the able-bodied because so many structures need to be incorporated. This, in itself, reduces economic sustainability and stops development, but the government’s rules make it even worse, if not impossible.
For this project to progress, I needed to go through three separate consent processes with the Department of Conservation, Environmental Canterbury and the Selwyn District Council. It would cost at least $300,000 and possibly much higher, and there is no guarantee the consents would be approved. In which case, the money would be lost with nothing gained.
But even if the consents were approved, the restrictions put on our activities could undermine economic sustainability. When added to the extra costs of accommodating disabled people, I simply could not afford it. I could not expect anyone to invest in this project - I had to drop it.
To date, there is still no location that allows disabled people to enjoy an alpine experience. The best they can do is to go to a ski-field in winter and watch others ski. There are no specially designed amenities or walkways for the disabled.
Growing Number of people with disabilities
The need for facilities will become more important over time as the population is ageing. In 1953, only 9.1 percent of the population were over 65. It is now almost double that, and by 2033 will be one-fifth of our population. By 2053, it will be nearly a quarter of the domestic population.
The United Nations believe we need to change how we view disabled people. Alpine attractions could in fact be a source of income for our tourism industry. The UN calls it ‘accessible tourism’. The United Nations state that, globally:
“it is estimated that there are over 1 billion persons with disabilities, as well as more than 2 billion people, such as spouses, children and caregivers of persons with disabilities, representing almost a third of the world’s population… this signifies a huge potential market for travel and tourism.”
This statement acknowledges that a disabled person normally travels with companions, in which case the market is actually double the size of those with disabilities. However, to attract that market, we need to provide facilities for the disabled traveller.
Life Quality and Alpine Experience
In 1984, Swiss Professor Grosjean published research that identified the psychological effect of alpine landscapes10. These include the romantic experience of nature, the experience of light and space, the experience of monotony and solitude. Also noted were human aspects. These include the experience of security that comes even when a man-made structure like a cottage is included.
Women and children are particularly concerned with less physical alpine activities. For example, research by Williams and Lattey shows that many women perceive skiing to be a physically demanding sport beyond their athletic capabilities. They value the social and emotional aspects of skiing rather than the physical. For women, there is a greater emphasis on enjoyment of the outdoors, the company of friends and families. To provide many women with an enjoyable alpine experience, a broader range of activities is desirable, including child-care facilities.
Given these broader values, it is not surprising that many Europeans who go to the mountains do not go for physical exercise. This stands in sharp contrast to Canterbury where only skiers, climbers and trampers have access to anything above 1,500 metres. In the South Island, the vast majority of disabled and elderly are denied any alpine experience.
The New Zealand alps are seen as an arena for the physically-abled. Research has revealed how discriminatory D.O.C attitudes has been. In one survey, a key national park decision-makers explained that:
My vision was that we were actually not a tourist park, we were actually a climbing park… where visitors came to visit the international resort of The Hermitage…
Another staff member stated:
Most of the concentration was on the mountains and the huts and anything above the snowline and very little effort [was] being put into genuine tourists … but if a climber walked in the door, we had all the time in the world.
In recent years, the Department of Conservation has been far more facilitative, but we still stand a long way from a time when pensioners and the disabled can sleep on a mountain top. In New Zealand, if something is an outstanding landscape, it is considered a reason to block access, when it should be the other way round. If this is an outstanding landscape, we should find a way that all New Zealanders can enjoy it.
One of the problems is the way that policy is made. I recall several years ago, D.O.C held a meeting and invited all stake-holders that they perceived as relevant. It included Forest and Bird, tramping, climbing and alpine clubs ie groups that have no difficulty accessing these environments. These groups benefit from access restrictions. The environment becomes a protected realm that only they can enjoy.
Improving Mental Health
The Department of Conservation are increasingly aware of the importance of the environment and the outdoors as a resource for mental health. This could be seen in their recent pairing with the Mental Health Foundation for the ‘Healthy Nature, Healthy People’ program which seeks to raise awareness about the positive effects of getting out into nature for your mental health and wellbeing.
The two agencies recognise that connecting with nature has a number of benefits for mental health including improved concentration, attention and emotional functioning. It provides a buffer against stress, lowering cortisol levels and improves the immune system. It significantly improves mood, enhances wellbeing and provides greater life satisfaction.
An added advantage of the Southern Alps is it possesses a sunshine-belt that runs directly through it. Along with their sheer beauty, the mountains possess a natural cure for depression. At a time when winter depression has been linked to Seasonal Adjustment Disorder and the absence of light, and therapists are actively using light therapy as a cure, it seems silly that our Health Department subsidises anti-depressants when a natural cure is close at hand.
Research indicates that happiness is most likely achieved, not by spending money on assets, but on experiences. We will be a happier country if we open up our experiential landscapes to all New Zealanders.
Sadly, our mountains remain the domain of the physically active; the climbers, skiers and trampers. Our so-called alpine resorts such as Hanmer Springs, Mount Cook Village and Arthurs Pass, are not in the Alps at all, but on valley and basin floors. Few New Zealanders get above two thousand metres. Lack of access is denying them their heritage.
To give an idea of the low use, the Department of Conservation report that in 2016 only 45 people used the Reischek hut up the Rakaia Valley, and only 26 used the Lyell hut. The Alps are being protected for a privileged few who have the ability and time to tramp and climb. We are not protecting this environment for future generations of NZers. We are only protecting it for able-bodied people.
The Southern Alps are bigger in area than the Swiss and Austrian alps combined but we don’t have one genuine alpine village. Why can’t we have one village in the most beautiful part of the alps and one more destination close to a main centre so that all New Zealanders can enjoy our alpine heritage?
The question is ‘will the current government change this situation or will it defend the status quo?’ Maybe the Minister for the Elderly and the Minister for Disabled Persons need to apply pressure. A country rich in alpine environments should not be the exclusive domain of a few.
Dr Clydesdale's expertise centres on the drivers of wealth and welfare including creativity, entrepreneurship and economic growth. His methodology differs to other economists in that he draws significantly on psychology and economic history. He is the author of six books. Those aimed at the popular market include Waves of Prosperity: India, China and the West; The Art of Business: How the Chinese got rich and The Politically Correct Economy which examines how political correctness is undermining the New Zealand economy.
4 comments:
With respect for the disabled et al , heli ski , and helicopter tourism open the entire alpine area to all .The Queenstown Remarkable Ski area has road access and ski lift capability for all. Alpine visits are not a daily excursion but a special event . Not a problem.
Sorry,as an ex very occasional tramper I cannot agree. i have observed huge change from 1980s. Far too many experiences have already been ruined by improved accessibility and easier going. Highway like tracks and boardwalks reduce the experience to just the views, often very repetitive and only very occasionally spectacular. Just as the likes of myself with ordinary IQ have to accept limitations on what we can do in the world, so must the otherwise limited. Auckland Regional Park has been made much more accessible but the experience is so boring keen trampers are now little interested.
Biggest load of bollocks I have ever read! Put your own money up
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