Protest at monorail
It is not too late to stop the development of a tunnel and a monorail in Fiordland, says Southland Mayor Frana Cardno.
The mayor, who is also a Save Fiordland member, gave the message as about 100 protesters braved a freezing morning in Te Anau yesterday to confront Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson.
Mrs Cardno and members of the Save Fiordland group met Ms Wilkinson before she boarded a boat for Doubtful Sound as a guest of the Fiordland Marine Guardians.
‘‘No decision has definitely been made and this is an ideal time for people to have their voice,’’ she said.
Mrs Cardno said fighting to preserve Fiordland’s world heritage status was a national and international issue.
Ms Wilkinson told the protesters, who greeted her arrival with chants of ‘‘Save our park’’, that she admired the stoicism of the Southland people.
‘‘It’s great the community is so passionate about their back door,’’ she said.
Listening to the community was important but any decision must be left to the processes in place within the Conservation Depart- ment, she said. ‘‘It’s an interesting process because an intent to grant a concession has to be made to trigger public consultation, and that can be a point of confusion.’’
Save Fiordland spokeswoman Daphne Taylor told the minister the process to grant consent for the Milford Dart tunnel and Fiordland Link Experience should never have started if conservation documents had been followed.
Barry Scott, from Te Anaubased Carran Scott Contracting, drove a grader to the protest and said the developments would take business from Te Anau and damage the community.
After returning from Doubtful Sound, Ms Wilkinson said she was heartened to see the passion of the protesters for New Zealand, but was noncommittal about the effect it would have. ‘‘The decision has still to be made,’’ she said.
Some of the protest group had talked of a judicial review of the decision, but Ms Wilkinson said it was far too early to predetermine if that would happen.
‘‘A judicial review does not happen just because one side or the other does not agree . . . we are very careful not to give any predetermination of the decision.’’