The announcement today of a $375,000 grant for 5 years to develop a community management plan for Lake Wanaka to ensure the lake is clean and accessible for future generations, is an absolute insult to the Upper Clutha Community.
I note the following timeline from ODT articles this year.
28th Feb: Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean supports calls for more research into the health of Lake Wanaka
2nd June : $8.0 mil application to MBIE to fund research into South Island Alpine lakes declined
5th August: Announcement that Tourism spend in Upper Clutha now exceeds $500 mil
5th August: Prof Gerry Closs states we haven't got a single continuous record of our glacial lakes for more than 3 years. The Swiss have had scientific monitoring buoys for decades
8th August: Government announces $375,000 to develop a community management plan for Lake Wanaka.
Jacqui Dean should be embarrassed and ashamed. We desperately need scientific research by scientists, across all our Alpine lakes.
The Government GST take from the tourism spend in the Upper Clutha exceeds $75 million. The Government is giving us half of 1% back to help develop a management plan.
The Government should hang its head in shame. The pre-election spend announcement of $375k is an absolute joke. This paltry sum clearly demonstrates a complete lack of interest in taking our Alpine lake water quality seriously I encourage anyone with an interest in the preservation of our Apline Lakes to make their opinions known is September.
- Roger Gardiner
