Coates Waipoua Assurance Recalled

Northern Advocate, 13 June 1947, Page 8

Coates Waipoua Assurance Recalled

Preservation of Waipoua Forest as a national reserve was advocated by Mr J. D. Mitchell, president of the Whangarei Forest and Bird Protection Society. in an address to tne Whangarei Ladies' Gardening Club. Mr Mitchell emphasised the desire for the whole area of some 39.000 acres to be set aside as a national reserve under a separate control. Besides the area covered by native forest, which included kauri, there were the outer heath environment and plantations of exotic pines. Quoting from the explanatory memorandum issued by the Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand, Mr Mitchell said that Waipoua

| was reserved in June, 190 G, by the Lands Department. Mr W. G. Kensington, who was Under-Secretary for Lands, presented a report to Parliament in 1909 on forest preservation. In this report, he mentioned that the •forests reserved under statutory enactments were to remain in state of nature for all time. The reserves dealt with included the Waipoua Forest, which was described as a unique specimen of typical kauri forest. The traditional policy of preserving this and similar reserves in their natural condition was confirmed by the late Mr W. F. Massey, who declined to allow even a road to be put through the Waipoua Reserve for tourist purposes. NO NEED FOR FEARS Some years later the late Mr M. J. Savage, then Leader of the Opposition, severely condemned the suggestion of this road.

In 1928 the road was constructed and was very severely criticised, but the late Mr ,L G. Coates, when Prime Minister, told a deputation that “No one need have the least fear of the forest being interfered with ”

By an amending act of 19.39, the Forestry Department was given power to cut and sel' timber, said Mr Mitchell. The Commissioner of State Forests (Mr Skinner) recently stated that up to March 31. 1946, 1,599,000 board feet of kauri had been derived from WaiI poua Forest, and that the amount felled to date was slightly over 2.000,000 feet, mostly dead, but including green kauri for urgent war purposes. Mr W. R. McGregor, who had personally examined the fores*, had published his opinion that 5,000,000 board feet would be a most conservative estimate of the timber cut to date. Materials shed upon the forest floor by "dead and dying trees” were replenishments for its soil, providing sustenance for the offspring of the forest community, said Mr Mitchell. Mr Mitchell quoted the following from "Forest Husbandry,” by Rolf Gardiner: VAST CYCLE OF WATER

"The forests of the hills absorb the rainfall of the clouds and re-distribute the beneficient moisture by the conduits and rivers to the valleys and plains.

"The vast cycle of water passing back and forth from sea to heaven, from heaven to earth, and from earth to sea. is under the regal control of the forest; for these determine the tempo and rhythm of the mysterious circuit upon which all life depends. "Remove or diminish that control and what disasters ensue: raging torrents invade the valleys, leaving behind them wreckage of the soil. “Floods overwhelm the lowlands and silt up the estuaries. The wealth of tiie mountains is discharged into the sea. and. the storm subsiding, drought stalks through an eroded land.” "Many years ago we were told that Waipoua was free from interference,” Mr Mitchell said.

“Today the threat against it is one of immediate danger. “That is why it, must be placed under a control free from commercial consideration.”