Q.E.II trust for care of the open spaces

Press, 26 February 1977, Page 12

Q.E.II trust for care of the open spaces

An environmental trust, named for Queen Elizabeth in commemoration of her silver jubilee visit to New Zealand, has been announced by the Government. The Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon, said the Government had decided some time ago to establish a national trust to ensure that sufficient “open space” was provided for the needs of all New Zealanders- Legislation would be introduced at the next Parliamentary session to establish the trust.

The Queen Elizabeth II National Trust will be run by a board of eight people, and assisted by six Government departments. Its functions will be to protect the character and scenic value of landscape and to provide a variety of recreational opportunities.

One of the trust’s tasks will be to ensure that, policies and programmes of various agencies working in

this field are complementary and match a national policy. It will classify areas of special significance for statutory protection, revocable only by Parliament. According to the Prime Minister’s statement, the trust will be given power to purchase or receive, by way of gift or bequest, land or rights over land. It will negotiate conservation covenants, easements and access agreements with willing landowners. Any funds accumulated and Government susidies will permit the trust to distribute grants to other than central Government departments to assist in the protection of “open space” and to undertake a general educational programme to widen public appreciation of the need to protect the New Zealand landscape.

Membership of the trust will be available to individuals. non-corporate private organisations, and corporate bodies.