National would look to provide high country national parks
that took advantage of forests and mountains for both
recreation and conservation purposes, but they would not
necessarily be government owned, National MP Nick Smith said
yesterday.
Dr Smith, the party's conservation and climate change
spokesman, was in Dunedin for a debate on Sunday and was
yesterday visiting a solar water-heating business in South
Dunedin as well as the owner of an electric car.
When asked whether it would carry on with Labour's plan to
establish high county national parks, Dr Smith said the party
would consider using conservation and recreation covenants to
protect the space.
This follows a High Court judgement last month which ruled
against the Crown for reneging on an offer of a special lease
to a group of high country farmers within a conservation area
in the Hawkdun and Ida ranges in Central Otago.
Dr Smith said farmers would not be bullied by the Department
of Conservation, and he supported the idea of land owners'
groups being consulted, rather than antagonised, by Doc.
Dr Smith said although he had been in Parliament since 1990,
he believed he had fresh ideas, particularly when it came to
combining economic growth with good environmental policies.
He would also be promoting electric cars, air quality
standards, biofuels as well as solar water heaters, including
increasing the government grant to $1000 and removing the
requirement for a building consent.
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