Friday, 3 June 2005

Check: ORNZ delighted with common sense UF environmental policy

Outdoor Recreation NZ chairman and United Future Taupo candidate Paul Check said he delighted that United Future's environment policy released today again emphasises the need for empirical evidence and not ideology and zealotry as the basis for caring for the environment.

"That must be the first principle of everything we do with the environment and demonstrates yet again why United Future is the party of common sense conservation and the party that will look after Kiwis who love the outdoors," Mr Check said. ORNZ is affiliated to United Future.

"Again, the principle that the outdoors is there to be enjoyed by New Zealanders and not locked away is a refreshing change from the current ideologically driven 'lock them out' mentality prevailing in the Conservation Department."

He said ORNZ particularly supported greater use of multi-stakeholder decision-making processes and voluntary agreements in environmental management, including of the conservation estate.

"In short, United Future and ORNZ will give New Zealanders a say," Mr Check said.

Tree planting around waterways was also "an undeniable good", as was greater funding for regional councils to clean up waterways under their jurisdiction, he said.

Outdoor Kiwis would also support a proposed moratorium on the use of aerial 1080 until the ERMA has completed its reassessment of this poison and an integrated pest control strategy has been developed to guide its future use, Mr Check said.

ENDS

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