The Press THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 1961. Safeguards For The Lakes

Press, Volume C, Issue 29498, 27 April 1961, Page 14

The Press THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 1961. Safeguards For The Lakes

Because of its predecessor’s contract with Consolidated Zinc the National Party Government was left with very restricted opportunities of securing additional safeguards for the scenic beauty of Lakes Manapouri and Te Anau. Although it may not remove all misgivings, the agreement announced by the Minister of Works (Mr Goosman) probably represents as satisfactory an outcome as could be expected in the

circumstances. For this result credit must b; given to both the Government and to Consolidated Zinc; perhaps even mere to the New Zealand Scenery Preservation Society, the Forest and Bird Protection Society, and the other organisations that have campaigned assiduously to protect the Southland lakes from industrial despoliation. The controversy caused by the scheme to use the lake waters for power generation would have been noteworthy if only for the way in which publie sentiment has been aroused in defence of aesthetic values, and in opposition to economic developments irrespective of such values. The campaign has not been against industrial progress but against questionable methods of achieving that progress. Perhaps the best earnest of reasonable precautions at Manapouri and Te Anau is the Government’s acceptance of recommendations by the National Parks Authority, whose views have been incorporated in the latest agreement with Consolidated Zinc. The original contract has been amended so that 27 J ft, instead of 100 ft. will be the maximum range of levels in Lake Manapouri. This will assist materially in maintaining the attractions

of the shoreline. However, difficulties of interpretation

could arte when the company begins to fulfil its obligations to remove vegetation killed by the raising of the lake. The Government appears to have accepted a much less exacting programme of tree felling and similar work than that originally recommended by the Fiordland Park Board. This is likely to result in big savings to Consolidated Zinc; and it may, unfortunately, remove any incentive to explore alternative power - generation schemes.

The Government and the company have now defined more precisely the extent to which the lakes may be raised; but Mr Goosman’s statement is open to the interpretation that the “datum level” in Te Anau will be only just below the point at which Te Anau township would be flooded. Opponents of Consolidated Zinc’s full scheme will be heartened by the decision of the Government and the company to investigate the lowering of the outlet from Te Anau to prevent shoreline damage. Because the general aesthetic standards to be maintained are incapable of exact definition, it is impossible for the Government, the company, or anybody else to predict the success of all these measures to forestall the destruction of irreplaceable national assets. T deally Manapouri and Te Anau would be best left alone. According to Mr Grosman, Consolidated Zinc is fu'ly seized of its duty to preserve as much as possible of Fiordland’s natural loveliness; but only time can tell whether man’s ingenuity will prove equal to the task. At least the public have some real assurance now that a genuine effort will be made.