PARK BOARD MEMBERS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31089, 18 June 1966, Page 14

PARK BOARD MEMBERS

Minister Sees Gap Concern at the lack of tourist-industry representation on the national park boards was expressed yesterday by the Minister of Tourism (Mr Eyre) when speaking to the opening of the New Zealand Travel and Holidays Association’s convention in Christchurch.

It might be expected that the tourist point of view would play an important part in the policies of the national parks boards, but in fact there was no tourist representation on any of them, he said. That the general manager of the Tourist and Publicity Department was on the National Parks Authority was not a complete solution, since that was not the level at which responsibility for proposals for development arose. Some of New Zealand’s main tourist resorts, such as Mount Cook, Milford Sound, and the Chateau were in fact in national parks, and at Te Anau and Franz Josef Tourist Hotel Corporation hotels were on the margin of national parks. The prime purpose of the national parks was to preserve areas for the benefit and enjoyment of the public, which meant New Zealanders as well as overseas visitors. The aspect of conservation in national parks was undoubtedly extremely important, but it should be appreciated that in some parts of the parks, the recreational aspect for even more persons must receive still greater emphasis, Mr Eyre said.