Labour Party plan for West Coast

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33066, 6 November 1972, Page 2

Labour Party plan for West Coast

(From Our Own Reporter) GREYMOUTH November 5. A Labour minister of development would be given immediate instructions to prepare legislation to put full-scale development of the West Coast into effect, said the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) at a public meeting in Greymouth on Saturday evening. In addition, a development team would be sent to Westport before Christmas to assess the employment situation, which Mr Kirk said was critical.

The meeting was attended by about 140 people. Mr Kirk told the meeting that a man had told him in Westport earlier in the day that he had been forced to move from Dobson when the mine was closed there, and now his children, who were near school-leaving age, were unable to find employment in the Westport district. There was an absence of a “plough-back” of the wealth taken from the West Coast. “Some of the capital of New Zealand must in jus-

tice come back to the West Coast,” he said. “33 reports” “The National Party does not promise any action at all in this region. Since 1960, the National Government has had 33 reports prepared on various regional developments, and now it offers more reports. If it gets the chance to bring down another, you will be able to read it living in pensioners’ houses in Christchurch,” he said. Mr Kirk said that the Government had shattered confidence in industry. The South Island was 30 per cent worse off than Auckland as far as industry was concerned because of transport costs. Labour believed in freight subsidies. “We want to give people confidence to stay in their areas by helping in housing and industries,” said Mr Kirk. The lack of confidence had affected the woollen-mill industry and the timber industry. “Who would go to Ross and set up an industry with the present Government’s threat to close the railway line,” he said. “We will keep that line open because we want progress.” Regional council A' regional development council, made up of people from the area, would be set up for the West Coast with the full backing and finance of the Labour government, and the minister of development would be given immediate instructions to “get on with the job.” “The Government has become arrogant and indifferent; open up a National Party Minister, and it’s like a filing cabinet of ‘can’t be dones’,” he said.

Mr Kirk, who devoted most of his address to West Coast problems, said a Labour government would: Keep the transport avenues

open; Provide subsidies for transport; Develop tug-and-barge services to take West Coast coal to deep-sea ports for overseas sales; Propose special incentives to mahufacturers in small units to go to small communities; and Assist in housing those who worked in the industries.

Power from coal

Mr Kirk said that the Official Committee on West Coast Development had decided against the use of West Coast resources, because it said there was not sufficient electricity available. “The development plan that we envisage calls for some of the coal to be used for the generation of electricity that is needed for industry,” he said. A questioner, G. K. A. Ferguson, a former National Party candidate for Westland, said that Mr Kirk was “just playing with words.” “Your friends have had 17 of the last 20 years to do something, and have done nothing,” said Mr Kirk in reply.

Beech regeneration

Mr Kirk said of the proposed beech industry that Labour planned not total conservation, but rotational harvesting, with replanting and regeneration to provide the basis for industry. Asked why he advocated tug-and-barge services instead of colliers, Mr Kirk said loads of 50,000 tons would be feasible and economic from the river ports on the West Coast. Asked about the surveys by Japanese of the Paparoa coalfield, and whether any mining would be by the Japanese or the Government, Mr Kirk said: “We don’t

mind them assessing our coal as a potential customer, but control of our resources will remain in New Zealand hands.”