New Zealand's New Government Stops Rainforest Logging

VICTORY

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WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

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Forest Networking a Project of Forests.org

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12/16/99

OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY

To their credit, New Zealand has gone against regional trends, and

stopped plans to industrially log large areas of remaining rainforests.

g.b.

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Title: New Zealand's New Government Stops Rainforest Logging

Source: Environment New Service, http://www.ens.lycos.com/

Date: December 13, 1999

Byline: Bob Burton

WELLINGTON, New Zealand, December 13, 1999 (ENS) - Environmentalists

are celebrating the success of newly elected New Zealand government

in forcing the government owned logging company, Timberlands, to

withdraw its plans to log extensive areas of beech rainforests on the

west coast of the country's south island.

In defiance of the new government's views, Timberlands Monday pressed

ahead with the opening of public hearings into an application for

approval of new rainforest logging proposals. Late in the afternoon,

several hours after the hearings commenced, Timberlands was directed

by the new ministers to withdraw its logging application.

The shareholding ministers - the minister responsible for

Timberlands, Pete Hodgson, and Finance Minister, Michael Cullen,

wrote to the Timberlands Board of Directors directing them to exclude

beech logging from the firm's statement of corporate intent.

Timberlands' relentless campaign for the new logging proposals has

angered the Labour and Alliance parties, which were sworn into

government last Friday after the finalisation of the election count.

Earlier this year leaked documents revealed a multi-million dollar

covert lobbying campaign by Timberlands and its PR firm, Shandwick,

lobby political parties and "neutralise likely opposition."

Early last week Timberlands chairman, Warren Young, was asked by the

outgoing government of former prime minister Jenny Shipley to suspend

work on its application and the public hearings until the new

government had been sworn in and could meet with Timberlands. Young

refused. "As I have said continuously, as and when the government

directs us not to proceed we will respond accordingly, but until that

point is reached we intend to press ahead with the hearings as

scheduled," he said.

Immediately after the new government was sworn in on Friday

afternoon, Cullen and Hodgson met with Young, and requested that the

application for new logging approvals be withdrawn. Young refused

once more, insisting that Timberlands was legally obliged to continue

with its application.

Over the weekend the ministers obtained legal advice and after

writing Young once more, wrote to him directing that Timberlands

amend its business charter to exclude beech forests logging. Finally

the company obeyed.

Environmentalists, who were scheduled to give evidence before the

hearing later this week, have welcomed the decision. "This Christmas

conservationists can celebrate the fact that the 25 year campaign to

protect the magnificent beech forests and wildlife of North Westland,

the Grey Valley and Buller is close to success," Forest and Bird

World officer, Eugenie Sage said.

"The timing of the consent applications and the hearings was always

political, with Timberlands' wanting to attempt to push through the

beech scheme as quickly as possible and to tie the hands of the

incoming government," Sage said.

Despite not having formal approval for the beech forests logging,

Timberlands has entered into contracts with a number of sawmilling

companies. A number of these companies, as well as some local

councils, are now threatening to take legal action against the

government for what they claim is a breach of an agreement reached

with west coast forest industry interests in 1986.

Environmentalists are confident that legal action will not overturn

the government decision. "The interpretation of the Accord has

already been the subject of two major court cases by West Coast

councils and timber interests in the early 1990s when they

unsuccessfully sought to increase the scale of native forest logging

and extend the deadline for ending rimu logging," Sa e said.

"In both the High Court and the Court of Appeal the Councils and

timber industry failed in all of their claims that Government had

breached the Accord," she said.

Last Friday the final count of postal votes saw the centre-left New

Zealand Labour Party win 49 seats and form a minority government with

support from the left-wing Alliance Party, which gained 10 seats in

the 120 member Parliament.

Election night results indicated the New Zealand Greens would

narrowly miss out on winning any seats. However, the counting of

postal votes last Friday saw them snatch seven seats and gain the

balance of power. Under the New Zealand proportional electoral

system, a party wins seats equal to its vote.

The Greens, who campaigned strongly against the logging proposals and

the use of genetically modified organisms, have pledged their support

for the Labour-Alliance coalition on confidence votes and budget

measures but have retained their right to vote against other

legislation the minority coalition proposes.

Greens co-leader Rod Donald is delighted with the outcome. "It's

fantastic news, the icing on the cake. It makes for a very

interesting Parliament."

The newly elected Labour Party Prime Minister, Helen Clark, has

promised to put a new emphasis on social and environmental policy.

"The government will work to reduce inequality, to improve the social

and economic wellbeing of all New Zealanders, and promote

environmentally sustainable policies," she said.

While the end to the proposed beech forests logging has been

welcomed, environmentalists are pressing the government to bring the

helicopter logging of the rimu forests to an early end as well.

Labour, the Alliance and the Greens, all of whom have been targeted

by Timberlands lobbying campaign, are committed to ending the rimu

logging.

Hodgson, Labour's Minister for Timberlands, is proposing a package of

measures that would end Timberlands native forest logging operations

while transferring the exotic pine plantations to a locally managed

community trust.

"We look forward now to discussions with West Coast community leaders

about our alternative economic development package for the Coast," he

said.

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