Beech Forest Figures in New Zealand Election
10/18/99
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Title: BEECH Forest Figures in New Zealand Election
Source: Environment News Service, http://www.ens.lycos.com/
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: October 18, 1999
WELLINGTON, New Zealand, October 18, 1999 (ENS) - The New Zealand
election is on and the controversial logging in the beech forests of
the West Coast is likely to play a big part in the campaign. The
logging by the government-owned firm Timberlands has been hotly
fought for years.
A Proclamation dissolving the Parliament of New Zealand will be
publicly read at 4:00 pm on Monday, October 18. A new Parliament must
be seated within six weeks.
The Labour Party, considered the foremost challenger to the Liberal
government, said Saturday that milling contracts held by Timberlands
are "such a sham" that a Labour-led government would not need to
break them.
State-owned enterprises Minister Tony Ryall revealed the existence of
the contracts Thursday, saying he did not find out about them till
last week. Timberlands chief executive Dave Hilliard said Ryall knew
"for some time" the contracts were being negotiated.
Leader Helen Clark and forestry spokesman Pete Hodgson both suggested
the contracts were invalid. They shrugged off government claims that
Labour would have to break the contracts if it was to keep its
promise to end Timberlands logging of beech forests, the New Zealand
Press Association reported.
Hodgson said the contracts had been signed without any tenders,
without any resource consents, and without regard for the possibility
that a new government would not want the logging to go ahead.
Clark said Labour did not know of the contracts September 10 when it
revealed its own plan to end the logging.
New Zealand's largest environmental group, the Forest and Bird
Protection Society, says it likes the Green Party conservation policy
released October 4.
Forest and Bird's conservation director Kevin Smith said, "The
Green's key commitments are to save our national bird the kiwi from
extinction, to protect all the West Coast native forests menaced by
Timberlands logging, to restore marine life in our estuaries, coastal
waters and open ocean, and to strengthen our border defences against
alien pests, weeds, and disease."