Sacrosanct National Park

Northern Advocate, 14 March 1947, Page 3

Sacrosanct National Park

Vicc-presiclcnt of the New Zealand Forest and Bird Protection Society (Mr E. T. Frost) said the problem was not a parochial one, or a national one —it was of international importance. He urged .complete preservation of the area as a national park. The part reserved should be absolutely sacrosanct —not an axe or a fircstick should be allowed on it.

Mr A. P. Harper, of Wellington, who also represented the society, was to the point.

“Where you monkey with the bush, you destroy it. Retain it in its primeval state, keep the surrounding heaths.

“The forests got along pretty well before the existence of the State Forest Service.

Mr Skinner: It doesn’t look like it to me. Mr Sydney Mail', representing the Rangitikei County Council and Scenery Preservation Society spoke for the people outside of Northland. He said the great majority of them considered that Waipoua should be kept intact. New Zealand had lost too much of her forests and it was time to call a halt. Admitting that wartime cutting of the forest was justified, Mr W. R. Vallance, representing the Whangarei Chamber of Commerce, Progressive Society and Forest and Bird Protection Society, contended that operations should cease until evidence on the question could be accumulated. The forest >vas a treasury for biologists and botanists. Xne Bay of Islands County Council was 100 per cent behind the State Forest Service and its policy, said Mr J. Hay. lie complimented the service on its tenacity of purpose in its attempt to pieserve the lorest by careful management.

The Conservator of State Forests had shown himself to be absolutely sincere in this desire, said Mr Hay. His council had no fears regarding the future of the forest in the hands of the department. Preservation of the whole forest would be wasteful. “The war is not ovor yet. We are fighting a war against want." he said.

Disunity arid differences were apparent. said the Director of the Auckland War Memorial Museum (Dr Gilbert Archey). Scientists did not advocate one thing or the other and no one should be more critical of his own arguments than a scientist. Many of the differences expressed academically wore expressed for the purpose of sifting out the truth. He fell that the 40,000-ncrc reservation was justified.

The fire hazard, which was verv great, had been aggravated by the planting of several thousand acres in exotics, which he described as "aesthetic incongruities.” "What you are offering is not a reserve as we seek it. “Your plans tend towards a plantation, and we are asking for a reserve to be set aside. "We want trees reserved, not rikns becoming crowns and soon to be milled.” Mr H. McCarroll said the Otamatea County Council viewed with alarm the interference with the forest. Ihe fire menace in virgin bush was only remote. but when timber was milled a breeding ground for bracken and .n----j flammable rubbish was formed. | He questioned the definition of a “dead or dying tree. Who was to sa> which trees were dead or dying, he asked. His council sought the complete preservation of 10.000 acres.