A campaign to create a Remarkables national park will only succeed if the public gets behind it, its backers say.
Federated Mountain Clubs (FMC) president Peter Wilson told an audience in Queenstown on Saturday it was up to the New Zealand Conservation Authority, not the Government, to decide whether to investigate the proposal.
``They respond in turn to public pressure.''
The Government's response to the campaign, launched in Wellington last month, was ``make your case'', Mr Wilson said.
``It has to have public support or it won't proceed.''
About 40 people attended the campaign's launch in Queenstown, including representatives of the Queenstown Lakes District Council, skifields operator NZSki and property developer Porter Group, which is proposing a gondola running up to the Remarkables ski area from Frankton.
The proposed park spans a vast area of Otago and Southland, including the Remarkables, Hector, Garvie, Old Man and Old Woman mountain ranges. It would encompass the watersheds of the Wye, Nevis, Waikaia and Pomahaka rivers, and traverse or neighbour many high-country stations.
The proposal's author, Rob Brown, said there had been a discussion within FMC about whether to push for a national park or a conservation park.
``We think this area meets the test of national park law, so why settle for second best?''
The area was ``barely protected'' under its current stewardship land status, and could be mined or swapped.
Mr Brown said the ``key to the puzzle'' in creating a national park was Glenaray Station, which was undergoing tenure review.
The 65,000ha station ran through the heart of the area, and would join several conservation areas together.
Other high country stations in the area were also in tenure review, which could bring another 50,000ha into a national park in the next decade.
Mr Wilson said FMC representatives would discuss the proposal with the four affected district councils in the next two months.
He hoped Queenstown residents in particular would be enthusiastic about it.
``If you're standing on the Remarkables and looking down on the Doolans or Wye [valleys], I think it would be no small sense of pride to know that is protected for all time.''
Discussions had already been held with Ngai Tahu representatives, and would resume soon.
The iwi had a long-standing stance of opposing reclassification of conservation land, he said.
``But we believe with careful consultation and discussion, and with a really carefully written conservation plan, we could get it through.''
