New Zealand national commission for Unesco natural science commissioner Dr Geoff Hicks addresses the crowd at the ODT Inkbox in Oamaru last night.
The Waitaki district's bid to establish the country's first Unesco Global Geopark took a significant step forward last night at the Oamaru Opera House as the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark Trust deed was signed into official record.
In front of a crowd of about 100 people at the ODT Inkbox, Waitaki
Mayor Gary Kircher, Te Runanga o Moeraki upoko (appointed traditional leader) David Higgins and Vanished World Trust chairman Mike Gray signed the trust deed to establish what will be a seven-member trust to oversee the operations of the Unesco global geopark, if it receives approval.
Mr Kircher said while the work began 17 years ago with the volunteer-driven Vanished World and was supported by the Waitaki District Council, the next steps for the "aspiring'' geopark - including funding applications - would be undertaken by the new trust.
New Zealand national commission for Unesco chairwoman Robyn Baker, with two Unesco global geoparks expert advisory panel members - natural science commissioner Dr Geoff Hicks, and Landcare Research Maori development general manager Holden Hohaia - addressed the crowd after touring some of the 101 identified Waitaki "geosites'' yesterday.
Their two-day tour of the Waitaki geopark, including Weston's Parkside Quarries, Oamaru's heritage area and a helicopter tour today, would act as a dry run for a likely visit by Paris assessors early next year, Dr Hicks said.
