August 18, 2015
Forestry rules not strong enough
Maori on the East Coast are threatening Treaty of Waitangi action over rules released by the Government this week to control forestry activities.
Tui Warmenhoven who is chair of Te Papatipu o Uepohatu Trust which represents 7 hapu in the Waiapu catchment says their concerns about environmental damage haven't been listened to in the proposed National Environmentental Standard for Plantation Forestry released by the Ministry for Primary Industries which would allow felling of erosion prone high country on the Coast.
She says the Joint Governance Group for the East Coast between the Government, Ngati Porou and the Gisborne District Council is heavily involved with ensuring erosion prone land is planted in everlasting forest.
"So we don't want at the same time standards coming in that are going to allow international non local companies to carry out harvesting programme and practices that are going to be detrimental to all the work we are doing now" she says.
Tui Warmenhoven says they will go to the Tribunal if the rules aren't changed.
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