MILLING OPERATIONS

Forest and Bird, Issue 142, 1 November 1961, Page 10

MILLING OPERATIONS

Mr. G. F. Gunson, of Ongaonga, Hawke’s Bay, has given us permission to publish extracts from two letters recently written to the Society, the first referring to milling in the Urewera area, the second to the operations in the West Taupo district. We have, of course, already asked Departments of State to give urgent consideration to both problems.— The President. 26 April, 1961.— The writer recently spent eight days in the heart of the Urewera. We tramped right through from the end of the crossing of Hangaroa and right through to the Anini and to the Whakarotu. You may be familiar with this; I do not know. However, you will certainly be aware that this is the best of our North Island rain forest. The south has of course more left than we have. I understand that there is a project afoot to run a road for milling purposes in this vicinity, and I understand that it will go in towards the Anini. This would be absolutely disastrous. This is a huge watershed, its waters feeding the Ruakituri and then flowing into the Wairoa River.

The heavy floods of early this year were very serious, and just about reached road level at Wairoa itself. Any further destruction of our forest areas, particularly here, must have disastrous results. Apart altogether from this, the destruction of this very fine area must give us further loss in our bird life.

Cannot something be done about this? I fail to see why the Crown cannot purchase this block from the Maoris and declare it a National Park. It should be preserved for ever. If this road goes in, undoubtedly it must lead to the destruction of forest and bird life, and, may I say, of fish life also. This particular area has some of the finest streams that I know of, which will, under their present conditions, maintain some of the finest stocks of rainbow trout in this country. This will all disappear within a few years if the matter is not taken in hand now. It has already occurred in another area, namely, the Te Hoe Stream, which the writer knows very well. This particular area has been thrashed, and similarly the streams have deteriorated to the point of there virtually being no fish of any account left.

22 May, 1961.— 1 am an honorary ranger for the Hawke’s Bay Acclimatisation Society, and, with another ranger friend, know very well 50 miles of the Mohaka River and also of the Waipunga River, having frequented them over the last five years. I would like to pass a few further comments regarding these two areas.

The new Taupo deviation, in my opinion, should never have been allowed. When this was commenced we both commented that this work would ruin the Waipunga and Mohaka Rivers. This has eventuated ; both these very fine streams are now literally silt ridden. The stones are covered up to a quarter of an inch with sludge. The river alone has been damaged in my opinion at least 75 per cent. All trout have diminished by this number, also, and further erosion is being caused by two main roads, one, I think, another mill road and the other by the breaking-in of country on the right-hand bank of the Mohaka. This latter, i.e., the breaking in of Crown land, I feel I must agree with because it is relatively easy country and it is wonderful what is being done with this area. I knew it well as a boy and mustered it all 30 years ago. I do not object to further production work on easy country that can be well handled. The erosion from freshly broken ground of this class of work I feel we probably must accept, but I am far from agreeing to the bulldozing of roads through beautiful patches of native bush, which has actually been done, literally destroying in three years a beautiful patch of matai bush on this section.

I conferred with my friend, Mr. Rusbatch by name, before I wrote to you on this matter, mentioning that I had corresponded earlier and seeking his agreement with my earlier comments, to which he fully subscribed. Being an executive member he has taken the action, I understand, of endeavouring to get the acclimatisation society to press this matter with the Department of Internal Affairs.

I sincerely trust that you will be able to press, very strongly for the cessation of this drastic bulldozing and milling work in what should be our national parks, and sincerely hope that the proposed new Conservation Board will very rapidly materialise and that its constitution will be men of' ability, with plenty of pressure in the right direction. If you can only get some of our Ministers to think in this direction I am quite sure some progress will be made.