Gondola campaign promoted

Press, 27 July 1988, Page 9

Gondola campaign promoted

The Canterbury Promotion Council has declared its support for the campaign to resurrect the Port Hills gondola proposal. The proposal, approved by the Planning Tribunal, has been stalled by a Conservation Department ruling that the Mount Cavendish reserve cannot be used for the gondola’s top station. ’''

The Canterbury Promotion Council yesterday threw its weight behind plans by the developer and local authorities to approach the Minister of Conservation, Ms Clark, for a reversal of that decision.

It would also make representations to the Minister of Tourism, Mr Goff, said the Promotion Council’s chief executive, Mr Bruce Dunstan. Mr Dunstan said the Promotion Council, which had consistently supported the gondola plan to the extent of making submissions to the Planning Tribunal, saw sound underlying reasons why it should go

“It is something which we see as being very good for the Canterbury region, and the evaluation of priorities by the Conservation Department we do not feel reflects community support and the wider interest,” he said. The Promotion Council would liaise with the other parties intending to approach Ms Clark to decide what form the approach should take. It might be a deputation to Wellington, or an invitation to Ms Clark to see the site, he said. Mr Dunstan said that the Promotion Council’s executive committee also endorsed public comments he had already made on the department’s veto.

He had said there was something wrong with a system that allowed the department to overturn a decision that took the Planning Tribunal 2 l / 2 years to reach, and that its position should have been presented to the tribunal for consideration with other submissions.