'Tree huggers' rally to halt logging of historic Blue Lake fir woodland

Rotorua National Party candidate Todd McClay addresses Tikitapu tree supporters. Photo / Alan Gibson

Jack Timmer has lived by Tikitapu, Rotorua's Blue Lake, for 16 years and fears the planned logging of decades-old Douglas firs around the shore.

"I'm sure the skyline will change," he said. "I'm sure it will have an impact on the lake."

Mr Timmer was one of more than 100 Rotorua residents who yesterday gathered at the lake to call for a halt to the logging, which they say will destroy the landscape and Tikitapu's pristine waters.

Mr Timmer told the crowd he also feared a loss of business for his Blue Lake Top 10 Holiday Park, which averages about 700 guests on a busy night over Christmas.

He said visitors appreciated the area's scenic beauty, and the trees - some of which are 90 years old - were "an integral part of the lake".

The meeting was organised by local National Party candidate Todd McClay, who launched a petition calling on the Government to take urgent action to protect the Douglas firs.

"I believe the trees behind me are iconic and historic and have more value to the people of Rotorua than mere pulp and paper."

Mr McClay said forestry was of great importance to Rotorua, but the felling of trees around Tikitapu was not a logging issue.

"This is an issue about the protection of trees that people enjoy and which are part of our heritage."

Trees around neighbouring Rotokakahi, the Green Lake, have already been felled and selected Douglas firs by Tikitapu have been earmarked for logging.

Mr McClay called on forestry management Timberlands, which owns the cutting rights to the trees, to halt operations and hold talks with concerned parties on the issue.

No one from Timberlands was at the meeting, but managing director David Balfour reiterated in yesterday's Rotorua Daily Post that the company had resource consent to do the logging.

He said only 15 per cent of trees at Tikitapu's edge would be felled and the half reported earlier referred to trees 20m above the lake's main walking track and beyond towards Rotokakahi.

But that was small comfort to prominent local businessman Gregg Brown, who said he hoped to get a High Court injunction to stop the logging.

Mr Brown said a challenge would be mounted on the basis that the consent was illegally issued because it was not publicly notified, and because it ignored evidence from experts that logging could degrade the Blue Lake's water.

Lakes expert Professor David Hamilton, of Waikato University, has said logging could adversely effect the water. Yesterday a Lakes Water Quality Society spokesman said the latest report from the Rotorua Lakes Strategy Group showed a trend of "possible degradation" in Tikitapu.

The crowd at the meeting included people of various ages and political persuasions who appeared united in the cause to stop logging of the Douglas firs.

Outdoorsman store owner Bryan French said cutting down the trees would destroy Tikitapu.

"This is the Mona Lisa of Rotorua and we want to scratch the eyes out."

There were also calls for the Government to buy the cutting rights from Timberlands.

"If this Government can buy the railways, it can buy the bloody trees," said 72-year-old Colin Brown.

In Parliament, National's environment spokesman Nick Smith hammered Conservation Minister and Rotorua MP Steve Chadwick about an email she wrote to a constituent in response to his concerns about the logging.

Mr Smith said Mrs Chadwick wrote, "God, Ray, get the tree huggers there. There is little more I can do."

Mrs Chadwick responded the Douglas firs had been grown for forestry purposes and she had been working with Timberlands to know its "forward-forestry management plans".

In terms of Tikitapu's water quality, she said she had met the regional council's chief executive, who had assured her the organisation was regularly monitoring runoff into the lake.