Merger will have far-reaching control

Press, 28 August 1982, Page 24

Merger will have far-reaching control

PA Wellington The new Government department resulting from the merger of Lands and Survey and the Forest Service will have more than half of New Zealand under its administrative control. A preliminary report on the proposed merger prepared by the two departments shows the new grouping would administer 14.5 million hectares, 54 per cent of New Zealand’s total land area. The report, released by the Minister of Lands and Forests, Mr Elworthy, shows the new department would be a big business in its own right. It would directly administer 55 per cent of the exoticforests in New Zealand and 4 per cent of the farmland, with a further 39 per cent of pastoral and arable land through leases and licences. In current terms it would sell more than half New Zealand’s total wood production and 2.5 per cent of livestock production, and produce 11 per cent of the exotic sawn timber milled. With a budget of ,$330

million it would be ninth in Government spending, after Social Welfare, Health, Education, Works, the Post Office, Energy, Railways, and Defence. Its income of $220 million would put it amongst the major revenue — producing departments. Its administration of almost 80 per cent of New Zealand’s native forests would give the new department both a dominant role in nature conservation and a big role in tourism. The report said that its staff of more than 12,000 would make it the secondbiggest Government - department after the Ministry of Works and Development. The merger would probably cost more in the shortterm than keeping the two departments separate, the report said. It said however, that in the long-term there would be reduced duplication of effort, fewer staff, rationalisation of plant and equipment, and allround improved service and efficiency. Mr Elworthy said that the report had been widely cir-

culated to affected groups which had been asked to comment by mid-October. “There are many issues to be resolved and the progress made on these will dictate when the merger can formally be achieved,” he said. All policy issues would be decided by the National caucus and while there was no proposed date for the merger, Mr Elworthy said that he hoped it would not be unduly delayed. “It could well be that moves towards head office rationalisation, and the establishment of an appropriate Wellington administration could be achieved while details of specific functions in various districts may take a little longer to work out. “What I am .very pleased to see in the report is the emphasis that has been, placed on decentralisation. Clearly, for the merger to work in the long run, delegation of responsibility and de-cision-making to those working in districts will be vital.”