Needless Destruction of Natural Resources Must Cease

Forest and Bird, Issue 178, 1 November 1970, Page 2

Needless Destruction of Natural Resources Must Cease

r? VENTS associated with Manapouri and Te Anau, Huka Falls and Aratiatia, -*- J Coppermine, Waipoua, Tongariro, and the sale of land to overseas speculators have all recently drawn bitter protests from citizens and organisations. All of these happenings have resulted from man’s urge for “development”. Whatever the cost in other values that are more permanent and real than dollars and cents, the attitude has been that nothing must be allowed to stand in the way of so-called “progress”.

Our pioneers, emigrating from industrial Europe and arriving in a primitive country, understandably introduced the urge to “develop” and “progress” regardless of the consequences to what they failed to realise was probably the most outstandingly beautiful natural environment on earth.

It has taken nearly one and a half centuries for New Zealanders to realise that, as important and desirable as development might be, we are trustees to the peoples of the world for the preservation of what remains of New Zealand’s outstanding natural environment. We are learning that development and progress can involve far too great a cost in things of greater intrinsic value than money.

The bitter protests are symptomatic of public agitation and determination that needless destruction of irreplaceable natural resources must now cease.

Pollution of air, soil, and water in our streams, lakes, and even in the ocean, is all man made or induced and has progressed so dangerously that the very existence of life on earth might be jeopardised. Pollution is also almost entirely the result of the urge to “progress”, carried on without serious thought about the consequences for posterity.

It is time for Parliamentarians to realise that unless earnest and practical attention is given, and seen to be given, to these vital matters, the electors will be forced to take the only step possible to obtain satisfaction, and, that is, to seek candidates who will not ignore their appeals.

It is frequently said that the Government is elected to govern and this is true, but in doing so it must respect the wishes of those who elect it.

We believe that though economic stability is quite necessary, it should be, and can be, achieved without trading for financial gain irreplaceable parks and reserves which belong to the people, not to the party in power for the time being.

Never again should we be faced with a fait accompli in which the Government had abdicated its responsibility to the people by giving to a commercial organisation the power to dictate that a great and beautiful lake in a unique national park must be raised and mutilated regardless of the wishes of many of the people.