Hugh Barr, who is secretary of the Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of New Zealand, and who has fought against the National Government’s marine and coastal area policy since 2010, details the threat posed by the current outpouring of claims for the coastal area that the Government said would never happen.

A delay in slip clearing at Kaikoura over the cultural concerns of a local runanga draws attention to looseness in historic places legislation that enables delays and costs for little reason.

A local runanga halted slip-clearing on earthquake-damaged State Highway 1 and the rail link north of Kaikoura, on Thursday, over concern about exposing or damaging cultural sites.

Everything grinds to a halt once there is any claim of cultural significance or sacredness.