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Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 617, 19 December 1995, Page 2

DoC has 'bizarre priorities' say i volcanic ash 'thieves' Selling tiny sachets of volcanic ash attached to greetings cards has upset the Department of Conservation, and their reaction to it has angered the Ruapehu ski clubs involved. Department of Conservation regional conservator Paul Green issued a brief statement last Thursday regarding 'ash removal from the Tongariro National Park". "There have been recent reports that ash has been removed from Tukino Skifield and sold for use in greeting cards," states Mr Green in the press release. 'The Department of Conservation advises that ski clubs had no approval to remove the ash. They have been advised that the removal of ash from a national park is illegal (under the National Parks Act). It is also a culturally insensitive act," stated Mr Green. Timoti Te Heu Heu of Ngati Tuwharetoa is quoted in a daily newspaper as saying that they would not object to people taking ash as a souvenir but that they did not appreciate people putting "commercial values on these things". DoC has "bizarre priorities," according to one of the ski clubs. They say the ash was collected from inside the lodges and from the rooves and guttering and was destined for the Waiouru dump. They add that as they were selling the cards without the ash sachets for the same price as those with, no monetary value was being put on the ash. Aorangi Ski Club president Dick Joyce said was quoted by NZPA has saying DoC seemed to be "trying to harm the very people who have a strong commitment to conservation and to Mt Ruapehu particularly". The department has slated three ski clubs, from Wellington, Hamilton and Auckland, for illegally taking the ash. The clubs took about four rubbish bags of ash from their Tukino lodges to sell with Christmas cards in an effort to cover the losses of a poor season. DoC Tongariro regional conservator Paul Green said it had been done without approval and was a crime under the National Parks Act. Mr Joyce said DoC was "hammering the good guys". "We are astonished that DoC is threatening to prosecute us - when we are on their side to ensure our mountain remains natural and clean. The club' s lodges had been damaged by the volcano and the club had lost "heaps of income" from the mountain closing. The insurance excess from the damage was $20,000 and the club was trying to cover that by selling the $2 cards. Mr Green said there was an important principal at the heart of the matter "even though ecologically you can't argue that it had done any damage."

^3^ RIVER OPERATORS The Ruapehu District Council wishes to advise the public that the following list of operators have made application to be licensed pursuant to the Whanganui River Bylaws. Guided CanoeTours Pioneer Jet BoatTours Limited Plateau Outdoor Adventure Guides R and B Grave, Raetihi Motor Camp Commercial Operators Pioneer Jet BoatTours Limited Win stone Oliver Bridge to Nowhere JetboatTours Cliff Houston CHIEF EXECUTIVE " RUAPEHU SULLETiN ISSN 1170-1676 Published by Ruapehu Media Ltd I Rata St, Ohakune. Ph (06) 3858 532 Fax (06) 3858 622 4000 copies each week. Reaching homes every Tuesday in Ohakune, National Park, Raetihi, Waiouru and surrounding rural areas. Publishing Editor Robert Milne Advertising Representative Erin Phillips Accounts/Distribution Paulette Richards Waiouru reporter Michele Monaghan Raetihi Reporter Amiria Teki Regular contributers Dennis Beytagh, Rachel Williams