Conservation Order Pursuit Was Waste of Money: Councillor

By MCCARTHY, Phil

THE pursuit of a conservation order for the Oreti River had been a waste of fishermen’s money, an Environment Southland councillor said yesterday.

Last month, a special tribunal recommended new protection provisions for the upper Oreti, despite opposition from Environment Southland, Federated Farmers and the Southland District Council.

The proposed conservation order on the upper Oreti would include prohibition on damming, a requirement to maintain fish passage and no discharge affecting water quality after reasonable mixing.

The tribunal recommended the conservation order be granted on the grounds that the river provided outstanding habitat for brown trout and black billed gulls, outstanding angling amenity and outstanding significance to Maori.

At yesterday’s Environment Southland meeting, councillors decided not to appeal the decision to the Environment Court, but all but one voted in favour of writing to the Minister for the Environment raising concerns about the appropriateness of the order.

Cr Derek Angus said Fish and Game had wasted fishermen’s money by pursuing the application.

Environment Southland maintains that its proposed water plan provides sufficient protection for the river and that conservation orders are too inflexible.

Chairman Stuart Collie allowed Cr Maurice Rodway, who acknowledged his conflict of interest as Fish and Game Southland manager, to speak on the matter. Cr Rodway said the order complemented the water plan by giving rivers protection at a national level.

The order would not affect day-to-day management of the river, he said.

(c) 2007 Southland Times, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.