Foresters angered at lack of input

Press, 15 July 1985, Page 36

Foresters angered at lack of input

By

OLIVER RIDDELL,

in Wellington Foresters are angry that they are being denied the chance to meet the Minister for the Enviroment, Mr Marshall, to discuss the future of environmental administration. Mr Marshall has deflected criticism for lack of consultation on the issue by promising to delay any final decision on environmental administration for two months until he has held regional meetings and discussions with interested groups and individuals. He and his Parliamentary Under-secretary, Mr Woo-

laston, have already held the first such meetings, including one at Timaru. But the meetings so far have not included many foresters, and that is the likely pattern for future meetings too because the State Services Commission has instructed Forest Service staff that they are not to make public statements on the range of options being considered by the Government for future forestry management. Complaints had been made to the State Services Commission that Forest Service staff were pre-empting the decision by the Minister of Forests, Mr Wetere, and the Govern-

ment by lobbying direct to the public. This prohibition from the State Services Commission is acting to restrict severely the presence of foresters at the meetings Messrs Marshall and Woollaston are holding. Professional groups such as the Institute of Foresters want to participate in the meetings. But many members of forestry organisations are staff of the Forest Service and so precluded from involvement.

They believe that this is giving a lop-sided weighting at the meetings against Forest Service interests.