Conservation quango views expected soon

Press, 30 January 1988, Page 14

Conservation quango views expected soon

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington Within a few days the recommendations on the options for the conservation quangos are expected to be published by the Government. A synopsis of the submissions made by public organisations and individuals on the Government’s original discussion paper has been sent to the main conservation organisations. With this the Associate Minister of Conservation, Ms Wilde, said Department of Conservation recommendations on this synopsis and the orginal discussion paper were due by the end of January.

By mid-February the department should have begun consulting the main conservation organisations on its recommendations, she said. The synopsis shows strong support for the Nature Conservation Council to continue as a separate entity no matter what is decided. But for the Government and the Conservation Department the big political stumbling block 'will be the determination of the acclimatisation societies to survive as independent

organisations and to hold on to their present powers. The mood in the Conservation Dept is that all the quangos will be lumped together into one body, with details and widespread functions. The feeling among the quangos about this is that it will maximise the problem that flows from having quangos do this work while minimising the capacity to do so by creating conflicting priorities and muddled loyalties.