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Conservation order

Sir,—The North Canterbury Catchment Board says (“The Press”, August 20) that it is “premature and precipitate" to consider the Rakaia Conservation Order application when a management plan has not been completed. Could the board explain where it stands on this issue? It forced the acclimatisation societies to present an application shortly after the Rakaia resource reports were completed. Now, through poor, management and unrealistic timetabling, it finds that the application does not fit in with its plans, does an aboutface, and wants the hearings postponed. As the board admits, insufficient knowledge is available to evaluate parts of the application. Surely the board was both “premature and precipitate” in forcing the societies to submit an early application. If so, the conservation order application should be heard immediately, or scrapped altogether and resubmitted in the new year. — Yours, etc., ROSS MEACLEM. August 24, 1983.

[The chairman of the North Canterbury Catchment Board, Mr M. J. 0. Dixon, replies: “The conservation order application by the acclimatisation societies was not ‘forced’ by the board, but it is conceded that the board favoured an early application since it

appeared-likely at the time that a late application could unduly prolong settlement of the Rakaia issues. The proposed hearing date for the conservation order is earlier than might have been anticipated. The board believes that it would be to the benefit of all parties interested in the future of the Rakaia River if a management plan is completed prior to any decision on a conservation order. It is intended that the draft management plan will be published towards the end of November for public comment. This is later than was estimated for this complex task, but the board has just published an introduction to the issues and options for land and water resource management in the Rakaia River catchment and adjacent plains. I believe this will be of assistance to your correspondent and to many others.”]

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19830905.2.81.2

Bibliographic details

Press, 5 September 1983, Page 16

Word Count
321

Conservation order Press, 5 September 1983, Page 16

Conservation order Press, 5 September 1983, Page 16