Mountain clubs join opposition to water plan

Press, 3 November 1984, Page 4

Mountain clubs join opposition to water plan

PA Wellington Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand have urged the Government to refuse water export concessions for Deep Cove, Doubtful Sound, in Fiordland Natonal Park. The fedeation’s president, Dr Hugh Barr, saia that the American-based Triune Consortium’s water export proposal had so. far been a comedy of errors. However, he said, “It would be tragic if the Government, was lobbied into going along with the pro-

posals.” Triune’s plan, which could lead to two 120,000-ton tankers a week loading in Deep Cove, would make the cove one of the biggest port operations in New Zealand. “A major industrial operation of this magnitude with the noise, intrusion, and pollution it would bring is quite incompatible with a national park,” Dr Barr said. Should any water-export proposal go ahead, there wasithe risk of a shipwreck

of substantial proportions, he said. Deep Cove was very narrow, and the poor manoeuvrability of tankers could make a shipwreck only a matter of time. “Although Triune talks of millions of dollars benefit from its scheme, the public have seen no hard evidence of any benefits.” It was time for the Government to make clear that water exports were of less importance than protecting natigial parks, |he