Coast employment deal ‘deplorable’

Press, 10 November 1986, Page 3

Coast employment deal ‘deplorable’

The Mayor of Hokitika, Mr Henry Pierson, has attacked as “deplorable” the Government’s employment package for West Coast forestry staff.

He said that while the West Coast regional planning scheme provided for fair and amicable planning for the region, the Government had “dictated that the region’s forest resource base will be cut from 13 per cent to 6 per cent against the wishes of the region.” “Even though the West Coast has the largest Crown forest resource of any region in New Zealand the Government has reduced the number of people'required to administer the expanded Department of Conservation land area and left in doubt the possibility of the Forestry Corporation being on the West Coast.

“I understand that the corporation is currently inviting applications for jobs elsewhere in New Zealand, but not on the West Coast,” said Mr Pearson. ‘“My sympathies are with the forestry employees and their families whose futures have been

totally disrupted. “The final impact on communities as a result of these Government decisions will take some time to appear but when they do I believe that it will be extremely bad news for communities like Hokitika,” he said. “The action of the Government over the last few days has sought to disadvantage the prosperity of the West Coast and its communities. The deliberate policy of putting employees on the scrap heap is an indication of the cavalier attitude that the present Government has towards West Coasters and their views on the future of their region. “My council, when putting forward submissions on the proposed restructuring of Government departments, considered that the land-based Government agencies should be situated at Hokitika. “The Government has provided for the Department of Conservation head office for the West Coast region to be situated in Hokitika. However, I understand that the Forestry Corporation, if it is

even to have a presence on the West Coast, will be situated in Greymouth. “The logic of this completely astounds me,” said Mr Pierson.

He said that by creating another 137,000 ha of reserves and “threatening” another 4500 ha the Government had jeopardised the possibility of the Forestry Corporation being set up on the West Coast had a beech industry been established.

“With half the current production forest area to manage and the best timber going into reserves how can the viability of existing West Coast communities be sustained?” Mr Pierson asked. “The Government has favoured the minority of 27 per cent who sought the lock-up of a further 8 per cent of the West Coast land area, over the 73 per cent who sought no more reserves. This is a denial of democratic justice. “The Government says it wants the regions to plan their destiny. Sadly, the Government can’t keep its sticky hands off the West Coast,” said Mr Pierson.