Molesworth

Press, 10 November 1986, Page 20

Molesworth

Sir, —The following facts supplement the article on Molesworth station: (1) Slightly less than 75 per cent of Molesworth is class VIII and severely eroded class VII land. This land is unsuitable for grazing and, under current Land Settlement Board policies should be surrendered to the Crown for management by the Department of Conservation. This possibility is not mentioned in the Strategy Plan. (2) The formed road to the Awatere Valley was constructed and is maintained with public money by New Zealand electricity. Weather normally permits access along this road from November 1 to May 31, but the Strategy Plan suggests that public use of this road be limited to two months. Appendix G also suggests that access fees will be charged for use of this road. If the New Zealand taxpayer is happy with these plans, then do nothing — and it will all come to pass. —

Yours, etc., B. HUNT, Federated Mountain Clubs executive. November 7, 1986.

Sir, —I applauded the management which has enabled present sustainable use of these lands and suggested it be pursued in at farm park, yet B. K. Macfarlane accuses me of writing about “the evils of farming.” Similarly, B. K. Macfarlane evidently misunderstands the debate, which has nothing to do with Landcorp’s competence to farm. At issue is whether the cost of sound soil conservation on much of Molesworth will be such that the corporation will be unable to provide the scale of farming profit demanded of it, and how it would react in this eventuality. I am well aware of tK®L priority for Govejpfment

funding of rabbit and weed control and urged it in these columns in August. The tragedy of Molesworth is that, because of a materialistic political philosophy, the choice now lies between a corporation required to maximise exploitation for profit and a department so starved of funds that it will be unable to undertake sound conservation management.—Yours, etc.,

ERIC BENNETT. Wellington, November 4, 1986.