Forest Service backed by Timber Federation

Press, 1 June 1985, Page 6

Forest Service backed by Timber Federation

The Government’s lack of consultation with the forest industry on the possible splitting of the Forest Service is an ‘‘absolute scandal,” says the president of the Timber Industry Federation, Mr John Davenport. The recommendation to the Government from a working party on environmental administration to take conservation management from the Forest Service will be discussed by the Cabinet next month.

But neither the federation, the unions, nor the New Zealand Forestry Council have been consulted or shown the details of the proposal. In spite of a leak to the Wellington newspapers, the latest working party’s report will not be released until after the Cabinet meeting.

“The federation has always had and will continue to have its own disagreements with the Forest Service but it will not stand by and see the department’s integrity and sincerity

under attack,” ' said Mr Davenport. The country was heartily tired of the constant attempts to denigrate the Forest Service. The recommendation was a classic case of a pressure group riding rough-shod through politics to manipulate public opinion, he said. “What is the point of bleeding Government departments of their expertise to form an isolated and expensive body to protect only one interest reliant on a national resource?” Much of the Forest Service’s work — the development of forest parks and recreational, historical and educational facilities — was taken for granted in the department’s low-key approach to publicising its achievements, said Mr Davenport. Since the 1960 s the service had built a network of protected natural areas resulting in a 60 per cent decline in the felling of indigenous forests over the last 10 years. By the end of

March, 1984, native timber comprised only 6 per cent of the national timber total. Logging native forests had virtually ceased in the North Island and was declining rapidly in the south, he said. “The 800 cubic metres allowable kauri cut in State forests has not been used in two years,” said Mr Davenport. “The Government’s election policy was to blend conservation and commercial aspects to protect the balance of interests. This does not include forming an isolated body at a multimillion dollar cost to the taxpayer to promote a single concern,” he said.