Tekapo bid strengthens after release of UNESCO skylight reserve working party meeting report from the Canaries Austin

New Zealand's world first starlight reserve bid - one of eight world-wide night heritage site bids - has taken a strong step forward after a UNESCO working party meeting in the Canaries, Spain, former Cabinet member Margaret Austin said today.

Austin is chairperson of New Zealand's Starlight Reserve committee - which includes Professor John Hearnshaw of Canterbury University and Tekapo project driving force Graeme Murray.

Austin is the political heavyweight helping the Tekapo case study in New Zealand’s bid to preserve the dark night sky for the Mt John observatory above Lake Tekapo. The study is one of eight world starlight reserve proposals.

She said the Kiwi proposal for a world heritage night sky reserve above Tekapo received more support in the Canaries meeting. The report has just been released she said.

``We are seeking government support on this and further endorsement will be made at a final UNESCO working party meeting in October. This will be crucial and we need to make sure we get this right. We only get one chance at this. The final decision will be announced in Rio de Janerio next year.’’

Austin said half the people of the world at present could not see the stars because of night light pollution. With Tekapo by-laws already in place and monitoring the effects on the night sky of further development are not expected to impact on the quality of the night sky which along with increased research activity will allow for astro-tourism to fully develop in the area. Already there are about 1.4 million people through Tekapo annually.

 

Human ability to see the starlight is in increasing danger, due to light pollution and pollution of the air and Austin said the Canaries UNESCO meeting highlight two areas, La Palma in Spain and Tekapo as two of the best night sky areas.

Mt John above the Tekapo township is considered one of the most accessible observatories in the world. The observatory is home to six telescopes including the country's biggest telescope which measures 1.8m across and can observe 50 million stars each clear night.

Graeme Murray, a major driving force behind the Tekapo project, said it would be a positive result for New Zealand and the district to have the Mt John observatory and the Lake Tekapo area confirmed as the world's first Starlight Reserve.

Murray is a director of Earth and Sky which operates at Mt John Observatory above Lake Tekapo, in association with Canterbury and Nagoya Universities and is a director of the Mackenzie Tourism and Development Trust who are helping drive the initiative.

 

Many places overseas have lost touch with stars in the sky but the Mackenzie country still has a pristine dark sky and a park in the sky world reserve will ensure New Zealand is kept on the astronomy and astro-tourism map.

Murray says New Zealand and UNESCO want to better protect one of the Mackenzie’s most valuable assets, its dark, starry night sky. It has never been done anywhere in the world.

NZ has just three of the 851 listed world heritage sites: Te Wahipounamu (Milford Sound area), Tongariro and the sub-Antarctic islands. The night sky reserve would be the fourth heritage park.