Heads bow for Westland

Press, 18 March 1989, Page 9

Heads bow for Westland

By

PAT TAYLOR

in Greymouth

Westland County councillors bowed their heads in a moment’s silence for South Westland when they met this wppk.

W The councillor expressed disillusionment at the Government’s decision about protecting forests. The Government’s last chance to salvage its credibility on the West Coast was to go ahead with the construction of the Cascade-Hollyford Valley Road, said Cr Nelson Cook at a meeting in Hokitika on Thursday. Cr Cook said an early start was needed to provide something for South Westland in return for the loss of 311,000 ha of for-

ests which have been placed under protection. A two-year study by the South Westland forestry working party under the chairmanship of the Secretary for the Environment, Dr Roger Blakeley was described as a “farce,” with claims that the closing decision had been made before the exercise was started. Cr Margaret Moir, who is the chairwoman of the West Coast United Council and a member of the working party, said that a

9-2 working party recommendation had been “swept aside” by the Government. She said that the public was being deluded into believing that the $1.2 million tourist package for South Westland was generous compensation for the loss of the forests. In fact, most of the projects identified for development with that money were already programmed by the Department of Conservation, said Mrs Moir.