Dunne: Meeting to confront hard-line Timberlands
19 November 2010
There is deep public concern that Timberlands seems determined to overturn a decades old tradition of free access to the Kaingaroa Forest, UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne said today in advance of a public meeting on the issue in Rotorua on Monday night.
The meeting at 7.30pm at the Energy Events Centre will address the public outrage at the closure of the Kaingaroa Forest and Rangitaiki River for the third year in a row by Timberlands.
Mr Dunne said the meeting was important for all those who are concerned about Timberlands’ actions.
“It is a chance to hear what is happening and to look to ways to restore public access to what has always been a public resource,” Mr Dunne said.
He said that to date Timberland had taken “a hard line and inflexible position”
Mr Dunne met earlier this week with local MP Todd McClay and senior Timberlands managers.
“While Timberlands said it might look at the issue again, the reality is that it is most reluctant to do so, and severe limitations on public access to the forest seem set to remain in place,” he said.
UnitedFuture environment and outdoors spokesman Doug Stevens, who will also attend Monday’s meeting, said that “not only are many thousand recreational users now not able to enter the forest but the businesses that rely on the revenue the visitors bring to the region are facing financial difficulties”.
“The closure of the Kaingaroa by Timberlands is a terrible precedent that must not be allowed continue,” he said.
“New Zealand has a long and proud egalitarian tradition where all Kiwis are able to access the fishing, hunting and other activities in forests and rivers. This destroys the unique heritage we inherited from our forefathers where access was never an issue,” Mr Stevens said.
Eastern Fish and Game manager, Rob Pitkethley said: “What Timberlands has done is completely unacceptable. There has been access into the forest for decades and we as a community and nation wish to ensure this tradition of free access continues”.
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Background
The Kaingaroa is an important fishing and hunting area.
The 1991 World Fly Fishing Championships were held on the Rangitaiki River, Flaxy Lakes and Wheao Canals and were a huge success. The quality of the fishery was clearly demonstrated to a world audience and has been a great tourism earner since
Around 2,000 international visitors came to the region each year to fish prior to 2008 and the closure by Timberlands
A further 20% of anglers were New Zealanders from outside the region
The main fishing time is between Oct 1 and April 30. Timberlands has declared the area closed from early Oct to the end of April.
There has never been a fire caused by anglers or hunters in the forest.
At times of extreme fire risk both anglers and hunters accepted that entry to the forest was not allowed and accepted this. They do not accept the blanket ban that is now being imposed.
The meeting
The meeting was called at the request of the Rotorua Anglers Association.
It will be held at the Energy Events Centre starting at 7.30 pm on Monday 22 Nov
Among the speakers will be Peter Dunne, leader of the UnitedFuture party, Doug Stevens, manager of nzfishing.com and UnitedFuture spokesperson on the environment and outdoor recreation; Bryce Johnson, Chief Executive of Fish and Game New Zealand and Rob Pitkethley, Manager of Eastern Region Fish and Game.
Ends
Mark Stewart | Press Secretary | Office of Hon Peter Dunne
DDI +64 4 817 6985 | Mb +64 21 243 6985 |