Council-MPs

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 8, Issue 380, 2 April 1991, Page 4

Council-MPs

From page 3 also non-productive in terms of rating revenue and, as such, detrimental to the Ruapehu district as a whole. The type of assistance sought from government, Mr Workman explained was to provide a 'kick-start" to a forestry development project on land currently classified as 'marginal' and would not include areas of native bush or regenerating forest. The Ruapehu district he explained has excellent growing conditions for timber in terms of soil and climate and the planting of trees would prevent the further deterioration of the land, erosion and the spread of noxious weeds, said Mr workman. What was requested from government was a commitment to get the project off the ground, to assist with providing

forestry advice and expertise and to provide the initial funding advances so that it could be offered as a proven viable concem, to a private investor for further development. In this way it would become a permanent and renewable source of income and employmemt in the district and thus solve, at least partially, this major social issue in the Ruapehu District. In asking government if it was addressing the question of providing development funding to assist with promoting the expansion of New Zealands exotic forest resources, he suggested that the advance funding, to kick-start the project referred to earlier, could possibly involve the diversion of the unemployment benefit cuts into productive employment schemes.