Govt extends West Coast log contracts

Press, 24 July 1986, Page 2

Govt extends West Coast log contracts

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington

The Government has extended contracts to supply logs from BullerKaramea forests to four local sawmills until December 31, but not beyond.

At the same time a decision on the proposed Paparoa National Park has been deferred until alternative employment opportunities have been investigated and firm proposals received on future forest land use.

The extension would be at the average level of cut to the four mills over the last six months, said the Minister of Forests, Mr Wetere.

There would definitely be no further renewal of these licences beyond that time.

He said the contracts were being renewed to maintain the sawmilling industry while the Government honoured its undertaking to investigate alternative employment opportunities, in view of its policy to phase down supplies of indigenous logs. x Mr Wetere and the Minister of Employment, Mr Burke, who is also the member of Parliament for West Coast, had been directed to investigate and report back to the Cabinet by October 31 on alternative employment opportunities in the light of the impact of reduced timber supply in the Karamea-Buller area. It was vital for the future of the West Coast

sawmilling industry that an adequate forest resource was defined and dedicated, to maintain a viable exotic and indigenous sawmilling industry, Mr Wetere said. Advice and guidance from the West Coast United Council would be a key factor on the major issue of future forest land use on the West. Coast, he said.

The Secretary for the Environment had been directed to consult the council, relevant Government agencies, and environmental and industry groups on: © The area of land to be set aside to maintain a viable exotic and indigenous sawmilling industry on the West Coast of up to 100,000 cubic metres a year. ® The area of a land to be set aside for a smallscale sustained yield beech scheme. © The area of land to be set aside for appropriate reserves. The announcement has not been welcomed by conservationists because it makes no decision on the reserves they have sought for the region for so long. Dr Gerry McSweeny, conservation director of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, said it was a political decision in which the Government had clearly tried to balance the different viewpoints. It was, really, a win for the Buller-Karamea region sawmillers because they had gained 8000

cubic metres of timber over the next five months.

That robbed the region of the potential for eight years of sustained yield management to prop up a dying industry for five months, and so robbed future options, Dr McSweeny said.