Native forests policy seen as incomplete

Press, 1 May 1984, Page 28

Native forests policy seen as incomplete

Labour’s policy on native forests has received a mixed reaction from the Joint Campaign on Native Forests. The campaign’s director, Mr Guy Salmon, said the general’ principles were sound, and the specific policy for North Island forests was particularly welcome. z “The Labour Party has produced a list of specific North Island forests which would receive legal protection if it became the government,” he said. “What worries us is that there is no such list for the South Island.” Mr Salmon said the West Coast contained almost half of New Zealand’s remaining, potentially exploitable native forest. “What will happen to these forests is fairly wide open under the Labour Party’s policy,” he said. A particular disappointment was Labour’s failure to support the proposed Punakaiki National Park. The park proposal had been, supported by socio-econo-mic studies and public submissions, as required by the Labour Party’s policy, and so the failure to support the park was “inexplicable.” Communities dependent on sawmilling would be reassured by the party’s commitment that alternative employment would be created wherever an environmental proposal could have an adverse effect on regional employment. “This is a good commit-'

ment, which should make it easier to proceed with longoverdue reforms in the native timber industry and with the creation of reserves,” said Mr Salmon.