River protection order

Press, 22 July 1989, Page 5

River protection order

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington

A draft conservation order to protect the whole of the Buller River system in northern Westland has been made by the Government.

A special tribunal was set up under the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act, 1941, to consider the Buller’s case. It decided the Buller River system was “outstanding” as the largest system left in the country in a relatively unmodified condition. The Buller River had outstanding wild and scenic characteristics, landform values, trout and whitebait fisheries

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and water-based recreation opportunities, said the tribunal’s chairman, Dr Mike Johnston.

An application for a conservation order had been lodged by the Nelson Acclimatisation Society and South Island Acclimatisation Societies’ Council in September, 1987. A preservation order would be made over Lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa and their contributing waters, except for the Black Valley Stream which flowed through St Arnaud township, said Dr Johnston.

The remainder of the catchment was to be protected by placing constraints on the issuing of

future water rights, Dr Johnston said.

Damming of the Buller from the outlet of Lake Rotoiti to the sea, and of the Cowan River, would be prohibited.

The Minister for the Environment, Mr Palmer, said the tribunal had done a fine job in resolving this application. It was a draft order, and would not become final until after its 28-day appeal period if no objections were lodged with the Planning Tribunal. The appeal period starts today. Copies are available from the Ministry for the Environment in Wellington or the Westland Catchment Board.