Offroad-Express

recreation access shafted again by this govt,
quote from chch press, 1/9/08.
Labours recent appointment of 52 people to nz 14 conservation boards for 3 years is breathtakingly arrogant.

It is an abuse of convention and the cabinet manual that significant appointments not be made within 3 months of an election.

these appointments are particularly bad when national has announced policy that promotes shifting the focus of board appointments to greater involvement of outdoor recreationalists.

what happened to the requirement within the conservation act to foster and promote recreation. This act by the govt is to make sure its agenda of locking up public land continues even after they have been thrown out.

at the moment it is a requirement that forest and bird are represented on all conservation boards, National should rewrite the conservation act, get rid of the privaliged position of this tiny minority, abolish the conservation boards and the political appointees on them, in other words most of them. and replace them with publicly elected boards, that better represent the best interests of all New Zealanders, as in fact the conservation act requires.

Keep kicking up a fuss guys, it would seem that our noise is being heard, at least by one of the major parties.

good hunting, JR.

I have to agree with this in a personal stance. I was nominated from the local board and have been stood aside due to my involvement in 4wding (my view anyway). These boards should be a cross section of all groups involved in the outdoors.

Just me view

The appointment process to Conservation Boards and the NZ Conservation Authority is certainly undemocratic and works against recreations on our public lands.

With the election pending, send an email to the present MP's suggesting that they support a change to the appointment process.. http://www.betterdemocracy.co.nz/email_mps.php

my personal opinion is that who gives a shite wt they decide on there political agenda the recreational areas are owned by newzealanders (full stop)
they can lock up give to whom ever they wish the bottom line is that eventually the average nzder will say f**k the lot of ya and go anyways thats what i will do forest and bird are just a bunch of out of date binocular watchers that have no real purpose in life but to piss off ppl like me

nuts wrote:my personal opinion is that who gives a shite wt they decide on there political agenda the recreational areas are owned by newzealanders (full stop)
they can lock up give to whom ever they wish the bottom line is that eventually the average nzder will say f**k the lot of ya and go anyways thats what i will do forest and bird are just a bunch of out of date binocular watchers that have no real purpose in life but to piss off ppl like me

Come on Nuts, just come out with it and say what you mean, no point in beating about the bush!

I must agree with your perception of the average kiwi's attitude, unfortunately I believe it is far less destructive and confrontational if we can influence decision-making before the wrong decisions are made, rather than have to fight and try to reverse them.

Well I took the time to fire off a couple of emails to the current clowns in power (the whole lot of them) one on the make up of the boards (twigs and tweets guaranteed inclusion) and on the appointments of personnel this close to an election in contravention of their rules and regs.

I wonder if I will get many responses this time. Last time I got 23 and I asked for a response from them all, maybe the proximity to the election will jog their ability to hit "reply". I won't hold my breath though.

Well the Pollies certainly have theirshit sorted this week (must be the election making them jump) I have had 20 responses so far (some automated I'll admit)

Dear Heath, before rushing to print and judgement take a look at the appointees they are not political but community representatives with knowledge in conservation. The daily work of conservation boards should not be put on hold because an election will be held this year. The only appointments not proceeded with are those considered 'significant' by the Secretary of Cabinet these appt were not. Annette King

Hi Heath

Thanks for the comments.

Cheers J C (john carter) Dont think he read them, maybe he thinks I was saying he did a great job -I dont think so.

One of the responses did surprise me though,

Nothing we can do.
Definitely time for change! - sent a terse response back about this sort of defeatist attitude and there is always something we can do - make noise ask questions, etc.


Heath

Heath wrote:Well the Pollies certainly have theirshit sorted this week (must be the election making them jump) I have had 20 responses so far (some automated I'll admit)

Dear Heath, before rushing to print and judgement take a look at the appointees they are not political but community representatives with knowledge in conservation. The daily work of conservation boards should not be put on hold because an election will be held this year. The only appointments not proceeded with are those considered 'significant' by the Secretary of Cabinet these appt were not. Annette King

Hi Heath

Thanks for the comments.

Cheers J C (john carter) Dont think he read them, maybe he thinks I was saying he did a great job -I dont think so.

One of the responses did surprise me though,

Nothing we can do.
Definitely time for change! - sent a terse response back about this sort of defeatist attitude and there is always something we can do - make noise ask questions, etc.


Heath

well there you have it ask how many of them are active assosiates of forest and bird society ? and how many people on the board ? the u do the math on what chance there is for real outdoors people to keep mgetting to areas they dont want you to go they even have forest and bird involved with the coastal fishing resurves ... i say what the f@#k do bird watchers know about the sea but they want to close off areas that literaly will kill the livelyhood of fishermen in certian ares arround the nz coast as they would like them to go from shore to 12 mile limit (wt a bunch of usless twats )

I found the same response to the sea with the greens. Seems they want to save the wales etc and the envioroment but their knowlwdge and their commitment is only above the water line. If they cant see it they dont seem to want to know. Look at the debarcle that was the sewerage out fall from welly wood. They could've asked the locals about water flow and where to put the out flow, but no. They made it too short and dump it in a an area that has bugger all flow and it just swirls in the bay. Can't fish there and the sea life avoids the place. Same with the positioning of the frigate wellington. Dumbasses did their flow calcs based on surface water flow and not on the bottom where the wreck would sit. Concequently it is now broken up and being spread everywhere. Seems that the 'twigs and tweets' are medling in areas out of their scope but at least they are having a go I guess unlike the Greens and other pollies. Admittedly a misguided attempt to help can sometimes creat even more of a problem than was there before.

Heath