Hi Guys
We are working through responses to DoC’s statement of defence. Then DoC get a further response and we get the last say and around early December this year a day in court of essentially paper evidence for the Judge. Then sometime afterwards a decision will come out. If its favourable to us then it sets the scene for much better consideration of recreational hunters into the future and heads off the ability of the WARO guys to threaten DoC with challenges every time DoC refuse to remove restrictions to let them in an area.
At the local level it will hopefully result in regaining the closure of the Rimutakas, the closure of the Tararua areas they opened and the entrenchment of the restrictions in the Ruahines. It should be noted that whilst DoC have in theory returned the Ruahines to the 2009-2015 restrictions they haven’t really. Because of the way they “fixed” the problem only 2 operators agreed to relinquish the summer opening, there still are two currently inactive WARO concessions in place with operators who refused to relinquish the Ruahine opening – i.e it is still possible that 2 operators could choose to go hunting there Dec 1st to Aril 30th and DoC would consider that legal. Only the low meat price is holding things in check. No new operators can take up the summer offer.
Short version – a lot is still at stake, it’s a costly exercise and we need the support of hunters.
· Donations to the Lower North Island Red Deer Foundation Incorporated can go to Kiwi Bank acct # 38 9017 0707871 01
· Check out our Facebook page (LNI Red Deer Foundation) for more info and a donation form if you want a receipt.
Ruahine Deer Plan
On a more cooperative note. Another meeting of the working group occurred recently in Masterton at DoC’s office there. We are now into the meaty stuff and no doubt we and the WARO guys will see things differently however we are talking and there is far more common ground than not. As part of that process DoC are working on producing maps showing higher and lower biodiversity value areas (they rate all the PCL areas in the country) and we (GAC, LNIRDF and NZDA and DoC) are producing a survey regarding the Ruahines to go out shortly to as many hunters as we can get it to. We want to know what is important to hunters. So when you see the reference to it please take the time to partake.
Thanks Guys
GG
Sec HV NZDA and Pres LNIRDF
