24 April 2018

Govt puts regions on the backburner yet again

The Government continues to undermine regional New Zealand, with the Conservation Minister scuttling a plan to extract waxes and resins from a wetland in Northland that would create jobs for locals, National’s Regional Development Spokesperson Paul Goldsmith says.

“For all its talk about helping people in Northland to get ahead, Eugenie Sage has put politics ahead of creating jobs in the region.

“The joint venture by Ngai Takato and Resin & Wax Holdings to extract valuable waxes and resins from a peat wetland in the Far North would help secure the iwi its economic and environmental future.

“But Ms Sage is now getting in the way of that and appears to be doing all she can to stop it.

“She is making no attempt to strike a balance between managing our environment and responsible economic growth.

“The iwi themselves have said that while the venture would provide jobs and opportunities for its people, the environment is also a primary focus for them. The consented area for extraction avoids conservation land.

“Ms Sage needs to let them get on with it but so far, this looks like another win for the Greens over NZ First.”

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