Assurance On Lake Scenery

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30192, 25 July 1963, Page 12

Assurance On Lake Scenery

(New Zealand Press Association)

INVERCARGILL, July 24. Throughout the £3l million Manapouri power project the Bechtel Pacific Corporation, the Government’s consultant for the scheme, would do everything in its power to make sure that native flora and fauna was protected from destruction and disturbance, Bechtel’s project manager, Mr N Long, said today. He said provision for the protection of native bush and wildlife was specifically written into the £9.380.000 contract for the 5%-mile tailrace tunnel let to Utah, Williamson. Burnetts

Workers engaged by the contractors on the tailrace tunnel contract, and any subsequent contract let in the

project, would be subject to instant dismissal for any breach of Fiordland National Park regulations, said Mr Long. He said a committee of the park board would be set up and it would meet regularly with him to discuss matters pertaining to the protection of native bush and wildlife. The contractors, said Mr Long, had agreed to build a hut for a park board ranger at Deep Cove The ranger would be encouraged to give talks and show films which would illustrate to workers on the scheme the aims and objects of Dark board activities. In Deep Cove, the contractors had been allocated land

on which to build their headquarters They would not be allowed to cut down trees in any other rj- •» without express authori jf Bechtel and the Park ard. A pamphlet dealing with Park Board rgulations and the reasons >r them would be given to i ' workers employed by an. mtractors of the project, sai. Mr Long. Ground cleared for buildings would be covered with topsoil when the buildings were taken down.

At first it was agreed that the contractors would seed the ground with topsoil, but it was later considered that once the topsoil was spread, the- native bush would take over itself, Mr Long said.