Recreational plan called for

Press, 29 August 1977, Page 20

Recreational plan called for

From Oliver Riddell A blueprint for a national outdoor recreational plan, so that New Zealand is equipped to cope with the great pressure that will exist tor outdoor recreation by the year 2000, has been called for by the Federation of Mountain Clubs. The problem was not now so much one of departmental secrecy as one of shortage of properly qualified

planning, resource management, and ranger staff to meet the escalating pressures that people and commerce were applying to the remaining natural area. Dr L. Molloy, of the federation, told an outdoor recreation planning symposium in Wellington.

“Wilderness is diminishing through bad management and over-development and at the other end of the

spectrum, much better roadside facilities and amenity areas for family groups are needed," he said. The Ministry of Recreation and Sport needed to do much more to take the plunge and wholeheartedly support the amateur attempts at drawing up an inventory of the outdoor recreational resources of New Zealand, which were now underway.