Ratepayers Money Thrown Down the 'CAN' - NFA
A $4,000 donation to Coast Action Network (CAN) from the
Grey District Council has been likened to "throwing money
down the can" by Native Forest
Action (NFA).
On Monday
9 August, the Grey District Council voted to pay CAN $4,000
from
its discretionary grants fund. This follows a
donation last month for the
same amount from the Westland
District Council.
"For a District Council to throw
hard-earned ratepayers' money to a group
that apologises
and fronts a company's wishes is completely
inappropriate,"
said Dean Baigent-Mercer of Native Forest
Action. "It means legitimate local
projects will miss out
on essential funding."
"I'm sure most West Coasters see
through CAN's shallow references to other
industries,
such as farming and coal mining, and realise they exist
purely
for Timberlands' sake. It's reached the point
where most people can't tell
CAN and Timberlands apart.
CAN is Timberlands' trained puppy who defends its
master
whenever Timberlands says 'jump'".
"The real insult for
West Coasters is that while CAN is trying to
convince
everyone that Timberlands' logging plans are
ecologically sustainable and
essential for the local
economy, Timberlands is plotting how it can best
be
privatised."
Peter Russell, NFA's Conservation
Officer in Westport said, "It's not hard
to see who CAN
really represents. CAN routinely claims NFA wants to
demolish
the Coast's 'forestry industry', even though we
are promoting plantation
timber production as an
acceptable alternative."
"Most of CAN's propaganda and
so-called 'public' meetings are focused on
preserving
Timberlands' native logging operations. Their spokespeople
often
claim that all people attending their meetings
support Timberlands, even
though many West Coasters
strongly oppose them and only attend their
meetings out
of concern for the West Coast's economic and
environmental
future," said Mr Russell.
"Rural and
urban folk up and down the Coast have been
contacting
conservation groups for help because they are
angry and frustrated with
Timberlands' destructive and
wasteful logging activities and also being
misrepresented
by TWC and CAN."
The Buller District Council recently
rejected a similar application from CAN
for
funding.