Antarctica a world park?

Press, 13 July 1982, Page 16

Antarctica a world park?

Parliamentary reporter

The Government should be seeking the status of a world park for Antarctica rather than "relegating it to the rubbish bin,” according t the Labour member of Parliament for Papanui, Mr M. K. Moore. It was unfortunate that there was no support anywhere by any of the signatories to the Antarctic Treaty for a regime that would preserve the Antarctic, so New Zealand had to do everything in its power to cement its claim to the Ross Dependency, he said. The Falklands ’crisis, and revelations that the Thatcher " Government in Britain had been negligent in not realising the threat posed by the junta in Argentina, should be a powerful warning to New Zealand.

New Zealand needed to put into effect now a number of long-term policies. to preempt what would become a major international issue in 10 years when the Antarctic Treaty expired, Mr Moore said. By then the technologies for exploitation would be available. There would be a rush to exploit the Antarctic’s resource and reserves. Those with economic and technological power should not be allowed to have the final say. New Zealand needed a political offensive to match the ability of the people in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and New Zealand's scientific community, Mr ' Moore said. . y There was a pressing need for New~ Zealand to work systematically on working its claim.