...STOP PRESS STOP PRESS...

Forest and Bird, Volume 17, Issue 1, 1 February 1986, Page 12

...STOP PRESS STOP PRESS...

Government indecision may herald a fiveyear subsidised blitz of the remaining West Coast wetlands. On December 3, 1985, the National Water and Soil Conservation Authority (NWASCA) supported a five-year extension of the West Coast farm drainage subsidies, provided that: * Wetlands with ‘‘significant natural or scenic values which would be lost or diminished by drainage" be ineligible for the subsidy. * An advisory group to the Westland Catchment Board (with rights of appeal to NWASCA) be established with representatives from Wildlife Service, Acclimatisation Societies and Forest and Bird to assess drainage applications. The drainage subsidy has been retained despite widespread opposition from the public and several Cabinet Ministers. This highlights the lack of accountability of NWASCA to the public and elected Government. Wetland advocates now face continued difficulties in case by case arguments on often subjective grounds against a distorting and uneconomic subsidy. Further attrition of wetlands will take place because of inevitable compromises. The Government must review NWASCA's decision so that subsidies are removed and replaced by incentives to preserve wetlands.