Intervention in forest plan declined

Press, 24 June 1983, Page 2

Intervention in forest plan declined

Parliamentary reporter The Labour Opposition has called upon the Minister of Lands and Forests, Mr Elworthy, to intervene to prevent the planned milling of native forest in western Southland owned by the Waitutu Maori Incorporation.

But Mr Elworthy said he would not intervene unless the Maori owners or the Feltex subsidiary planning to mill approached him. “I am not going to interfere without their invitation,” he said. Mr Elworthy has been asked to take a fresh look at the Maori forest by the Labour spokespeople on Maori Affairs, Mr K. T. Wetere; Forestry, Mrs Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan; and the Environment, Dr M. J. Cullen. They said they were concerned that matters were drifting along without a satisfactory solution emerging. Plans were afoot to incorporate the Waitutu State Forest into Fiordland National Park, they said. This had considerable merit, but would be inadequate on its own if the plan to log the coastal area owned by the Waitutu Maori Incorporation went ahead. Extending the national park only made sense if the whole sea-to-mountains area could be included in its present state, they said. They did not want the Government to force the Waitutu Incorporation to back out of its contract with Feltex for the sale of the timber. “Dictatorial intervention is not to be countenanced," they said. But the Minister could indicate his willingness to facilitate a satisfactory compromise.

They promised Labour support for any compromise solution Mr Elworthy could achieve.