Liz Craig
Labour Candidate for Clutha Southland

29 May 2014

Monorail Decision the Right One… this time around

“Nick Smith’s decision today not to allow a private company to cut a swathe through the World Heritage Listed Snowden Forest Conservation Area was the right one” said Liz Craig, Labour’s Candidate for Clutha Southland.

“Not only would the monorail have resulted in the felling of thousands of old growth beech trees, but it would have jeopardised the habitat of the critically endangered long tail bat”.

“However, Nick Smith’s cryptic comments that “I do not want this decision interpreted as the Government and the Department of Conservation being opposed to any proposal for alternative access options in Fiordland” were a little concerning” said Liz Craig.

“With so little of our untouched wilderness remaining” said Liz Craig “I would hope that any future decisions about similar projects in Fiordland will have the conservation of our wilderness areas and their unique biodiversity, rather than the economic viability of any particular private project, as their defining bottom line”.

ENDS

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