Hotel delay on agenda

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33540, 22 May 1974, Page 14

Hotel delay on agenda

■ Delays in providing tourist accommodation in the South Island, particularly at Mount Cook, will be among the main topics for discussion at the annual conference of the South Island Promotion Association, which starts in Christchurch on Friday. Mr H. P. Smith, the association’s president, says in his report to be given at the conference that there have been “unnecessarily long delays” in getting approval for tourist facilities from those who wish to protect the environment.

Mr Smith says that the procedure followed in getting environmental reports prepared should be streamlined. At present, an environmental impact assessment must be prepared, followed by environmental impact report, and then an audit of the report.

“Most of us are aware of the time <it takes to have these reports prepared, submitted, and considered by various persons and bodies, and in practice, decisionmaking is delayed, sometimes to a point nearing desperation,” Mr Smith says.

Remits to be considered at the conference concern mainly procedural matters, but one asks for New' Zealand Breweries and Dominion Breweries to make grants to the association. The remit says both com-1 panies benefit by S.l.P.A.’s| activities. The grants could; be used to improve tourist; facilities, or even for relief' after a disaster. Last yeari Dominion Breweries contrib-, uted towards the cost of S.I.P.A.’s Sydney mission.