Don Cameron announced as new chair of New Zealand Walking Access Commission

Ruapehu District Mayor Don Cameron has been appointed as the new Chair of the Walking Access Commission Ara Hīkoi Aotearoa.

Minister Damien O’Connor appointed Mayor Cameron for a 3-year term. He takes over from longstanding Commission Chair John Forbes.

Mayor Cameron is an experienced farmer and has been Mayor of Ruapehu District since 2007.

Mayor Cameron says that the Commission is at an exciting crossroads advising "the recent independent review of the Commission says it is highly regarded and remarkably effective at developing and promoting public access to the outdoors. But it could do much more - working strategically with regions to develop networks of public access, working more closely with iwi, and supporting local people to grow public access in their communities.

"I want to see a network of public outdoor access in New Zealand that is free, certain, enduring, and practical for us all to use.”

Mayor Cameron is also a representative on the National Council of Local Government New Zealand. He is a keen mountain biker with a wealth of experience in rural and recreation access issues. He is a member of Ruapehu-Whanganui Rural Support Trust and Rural Health Alliance NZ, is the co-Chair of the Road Controlling Authority and recently helped to set up the Ameku Road cycle and walkway in Raetihi.