Park expansions exclude vital threatened habitats

Today’s Government announcement of additions to three National Parks is most notable for the areas that are omitted, Green Party Conservation Spokesperson Metiria Turei says.

“I welcome any additions to National Parks. But the Mokihinui River, New Zealand’s seventh highest ranked river for natural heritage values, is an obvious choice for inclusion in Kahurangi National Park,” Ms Turei says.

Meridian Energy has recently applied for consents to flood Mokihinui Gorge and to put a transmission line across the Stockton-Denniston Plateau.

Another area not included in the newly expanded Kahurangi National Park is nearby Happy Valley, a nationally significant wetland that was recommended for protection in 1998. Happy Valley is the site of a long term campaign to stop state-owned Solid Energy from developing an open cast coal mine.

“The inclusion of these areas would cost the Government nothing – it is all crown land.

“The Government appears unwilling to protect any areas that could be used by state-owned enterprises to make a buck, even when these areas are scenic wonders, biodiversity hotspots, and habitat for highly endangered species,” Mrs Turei says.