Wetland drainage opposed
PA Wellington A scheme to turn about 3000 hectares of Wairarapa wetland into farms is opposed by the Minister for the Environment (Dr Shearer). He said yesterday he was personally against the proposed ’Lake Wairarapa polder scheme which would destroy more of the country's “valuable and rapidly diminishing wetlands." In a statement issued after he had visited the lake yesterday to look at the Wairarapa Catchment Board scheme, he said: "Projects like this are no longer appropriate for the times. “Less than 10 per cent of this country's original wetlands now remain and these are under continuous pressure for conversion to farmland.” The Wairarapa scheme plans to convert 20 per cent of' the lake and adjoining wetlands into 40 farms by means of a polder or dyke. Dr Shearer said it would be fully investigated before any decisions were made. He said the thrust of development in the south Wairarapa should be towards ' increasing the productivity of existing farmland, "rather than destroying an incompar-. able wildlife resource."
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Press, 14 July 1982, Page 2
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170Wetland drainage opposed Press, 14 July 1982, Page 2
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