Forestry control split opposed

Press, 31 May 1985, Page 14

Forestry control split opposed

An apparent Government proposal to split the environmental management of forestry from its commercial management had been described by the Furniture Manufacturers’ Federation as an abrogation of responsibility. The federation’s president, Mr Wayne Richardson, said that the proposal was “a capitulation to a vociferous and idealistic pressure group." “The Forest Service deserves great credit for the manner in which it has balanced for the common good over the years what can sometimes be a clash of views from extremes on both sides,” he said. “We accept that exotic

timber is now our main resource, but New Zealanders enjoy a broad range of specialist native timbers in their furniture, and with careful conservation I see no reason why this should not continue. “The Forest Service manages the environmental aspect in a realistic rather than idealistic manner, and to take from its hands responsibility for one aspect of what is essentially a single entity is totally unreal.” Mr Richardson said that the segregation of the two interests in two Government departments smacked of a public “washing of hands,” and from the public interest viewpoint it was a backward step.