June 18, 2015
Taihoa call on swamp kauri exports
Northland Regional Councillor Dover Samuels says there needs to be a moratorium on exports of swamp kauri.
Questions are being asked about whether the Ministry of Primary Industries and Customs are forcing the law about the export of raw logs.
Mr Samuels, who chairs the council’s Maori advisory committee, says there is a lot of concern from iwi and hapu about the rush for kauri gold.
The regional council itself is concerned about the effects of the extraction on the environment.
"Many people up in the north here are very supportive of the moratorium saying 'Taihoa !' lets have a look at the people that are actually benefitting lets have a look at whether this really benefits New Zealand our country or whether it just benefits a few with a vested interest in China.
Dover Samuels says there are long-standing concerns in the north about resources being shipped out of the region with no value added processing.
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