Paying for parks

Press, 29 January 1986, Page 16

Paying for parks

Sir,—The Treasury has investigating officers “looking at ways of advancing the national benefit” (Tom Berthold, Land Use Division director). One such officer is working on an internal report concerning the national parks. Although proposals on

these reports do not become recommendations to the Minister unless also endorsed by departmental management, it is symptomatic of current unease that the Director-General of Lands, Bing Lucas, felt it necessary last week publicly to reject absolutely, both on practical and philosophical grounds, a suggestion allegedly surfacing that users should- be charged when-, entering the parks. Creation and maintenance of national parks, as of the hut and tracks systems of forest parks, cost public money. Hitherto the comparatively small amounts involved have been “lost” within the budgets of departments engaged also in revenue-earning activities. Under present policies prospects for adequate funding of the new Department of Conservation look ever more bleak. — Yours, etc., ERIC BENNETT. Wellington, January 26, 1986. -