Blue tinting just pretence that everything's fine

Bruce Bisset is a freelance writer and poet.

You would think valuing and protecting our unique stunning environment would be something any New Zealander would naturally embrace, regardless of any merely-human concept such as politics.

So that when any major environmental problem arose it would be responded to with suitable alarm and accorded the gravity it deserves - and the funding and resources to redress it.

But apparently those who wear blue-tinted spectacles - which make shades of green look greener than they really are - are incapable of being truly in touch with nature.

The false facade those spectacles drape over their vision allows them to pretend everything's fine, even when it's obvious to anyone not wearing such glasses that the end is nigh.

As it is, or soon will be, for at least one-third if not two-thirds of our 168 species of native birds. Including most critically the gorgeous and irreverent mountain parrot, the kea, two types of kiwi, the whio (blue duck) and the wrybill, the only bird in the world whose beak curves to one side.

Government's response to this news? It's okay, we're throwing some more money at the tourist infrastructure so that people can get to and be adequately catered for in those places where you used to be able to see these birds.

Oh, and by the way, don't drink - or swim in, or for that matter let your dog (or children) go near - any of the waterways you come across en route.

Seriously, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Jan Wright publishes a report in which she says "the situation is desperate" - desperate, note - for these and other native species, and all Minister for the Environment Maggie Barry can talk about is funding an IT booking system for visitors wanting to do a Great Walk.

How much disconnect can you stand to witness before you realise these people have no interest in protecting anything other than their bank balances?

As for boasting about giving the Department of Conservation more money in the Budget last week, DoC's operational funding - the bit they do real conservation work with - has actually gone down $9 million. And in total, so the Green Party estimates, by some $422 million in real terms since 2008 - ie, under National.

Gosh, you could build a decent water storage dam for that.

Thank the astute voters of Hastings and Napier for a regional council which, finally, cares. Wednesday's decision to put a comprehensive environmental condition precedent on the Ruataniwha irrigation scheme may be six years overdue, and do no more than recognise what a regional council should always have as its first priority - the environment - but it must be soundly applauded nonetheless.

However if former chairman Fenton Wilson thinks anyone's going to be fooled by his supporting this now after effectively wasting everyone's time effort and money by not having such a precedent in place to start with, I will make sure to remind them not to be.

That goes for the two stooges - oops, sorry, mayors - chanting the "just build it (and damn the risks)" mantra the day before. Hardly surprising for National stalwarts like Lawrence Yule to rally for the moneyed on-faith cause, but I always thought Bill Dalton imagined he leant to the left.

He must have suffered a medical misadventure, for there now seems to be a large blue glove stuck somewhere up inside. Certainly he's out of step with his electorate if he thinks Napier people support putting the Port at risk to build a dam in CHB.

As National is out of step with the country if it thinks we don't care about our birdsong, our bush, and our rivers.

Bruce Bisset is a freelance writer and poet.