Competition for resources

Press, 9 October 1979, Page 11

Competition for resources

1 A "people problem” is i seen by the Under-Secre-j tary of Agriculture (Mr Talbot) in the competition for use of natural resources. Speaking at a ceremony to mark the turning of the i first sod for the Gienmark irrigation scheme, he said that irrigation would remove one of the constraints that nature had j put on this part of the country, but “in our so- ! phisticated, overly | ordered, planned society ’ of today, it is very often | the constraints imposed by i people which pose the bigI ger problem. "it is becoming increasI ingly more difficult to reconcile the views of the many groups who claim a j share of resources, such as water; and sadly too often the, groups representing the productive sector as compared with the recreational sector gain a much lower priority than they deserve. ' “We are made to feel

guilty about using natural resources for the benefit of mankind, and the thought that someone could make a profit out .of more rationally using our water resources is anathema to far too many of our citizens. “One would be forgiven for thinking. that some of our alleged, environmentally aware citizens would prefer to have floods ravaging country towns rather than disturb wild life by straightening or stopbanking our rivers. “In my opinion the pendulum has swung too far to the detriment of our productive industries and too little weight has been attached to the fact that mankind, too, is an essential part of the environment,” Mr Talbot said. “As a farmer I find great beauty ,-,in a good paddock of grass. — certainly more than-1 ‘do in a block of. tussock or a clump of matagouri or in a fine stand of gorse,” he said.