Mixed views on wilding trees policy

While one submitter celebrated the regional council's proposed wilding pine control funding with a bottle of wine, others said the measure does not go far enough.

At an Otago Regional Council Draft Annual Plan submissions hearing in Cromwell yesterday Wakatipu Conifer Control Group co-chairman Peter Willsman slammed a bottle of wine on the table to "celebrate'' the council's proposed contribution. In the draft plan the council suggests giving $100,000 to community groups to help control the trees' spread.

"We commend you in taking leadership,'' Mr Willsman said.

Central Otago Wilding Conifer Control Group chairman Phil Murray said wilding pine control money should be rated evenly throughout Otago.

"This is at least a regional issue, if not a national issue.''

Cr David Sheppard said the council preferred to rate it mostly in Central Otago and Queenstown.

The council needed to decide whether it was fair to have "pensioners in Dunedin'' paying for the control of wilding pines in Central Otago and Queenstown, he said.

Department of Conservation Central Otago statutory manager John Roberts said the council's proposed that funding needed to go further.

"Although we support this, we urge ORC to significantly raise its contribution.''

Submitter Rik Deaton said wilding pines should be treated as a resource, and the council needed to examine initiatives in Europe which used wilding pines as biofuel.

Cr Bryan Scott said he hoped people who wanted to utilise the pines and those who focused on eradication could co-exist.

Hearings continue in Dunedin today and tomorrow.

jono.edwards@odt.co.nz

 

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