New forest park to include gold, coal mines

Press, 21 May 1981, Page 1

New forest park to include gold, coal mines

Greymouth reporter

Six State forests in the Inangahua-Murchison region will make up the new Victoria State Forest Park, the Minister of Forests (Mr V. S. Young) announced in Greymouth last evening. The park, which covered 200,000 hectares, would provide tramping and hunting, and include some places of historical interest such as the Reefton goldfields. While most of the forests were protected, some of the park would be worked. “Coal mines will continue to function with-

In it and its timber resources are important for the maintenance of the region’s sawmill industry. Beech and . podocarp logs will be available to mills in the Grey Valley until the young exotic plantations on the Coast matured in the 1990’5” he said.

The park would include the Maruia Valley’s red and silver beech forests which would be perpetuated by a combination of reserves and managed production forests.

Mr Young said he would soon announce details on proposed extensions to the Nelson Lakes National Park and the

Lewis. Pass Scenic Reserve.

The Nelson park would be extended south along the Spenser Mountains to include the Glenroy and Matakitaki headwaters, adding about 43,000 ha. Mr Young said he would call for public comment on the establishment of a national reserve for the core area of the Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve Areas subject to mining privileges and grazing licences would not be affected.

Details are also being finalised for the proposed national reserve at Punakaiki, said Mr Young.