National will lift log ban on coast

National would roll back a ban on logging of West Coast beech forests, at the heart of one of this country's most bitterly fought conservation battles.

The party's forestry policy would allow sustainable logging on Timberlands West Coast forest, home to some of New Zealand's most threatened birds and animals.

A decision by the Shipley Government to allow state-owned forestry company Timberlands West Coast to sustainably log giant beech over 130,000ha in the lead-up to the 1999 election outraged environmental groups.

After her Government fell, the Labour Government imposed an outright logging ban and transferred the land to the conservation estate.

Around 30,000ha was added to national parks and reserves but 100,000ha went into the general conservation estate, with West Coasters paid $120 million as compensation.

National Party forestry spokesman Brian Connell said national parks and reserves would not be touched but the total ban was a "waste of a perfectly good resource".

Compensation money would not have to be handed back.

"I just think it was a bad policy decision at the same time as New Zealand is importing timber from unsustainably logged forests in other parts of the world," he said.

A National-led government would look at sustainable logging on "a case-by-case basis". Timberlands is currently prevented from cutting native timber but Mr Connell said a National-led government would negotiate a potentially "substantial sustainable management regime".

Timberlands chief executive Nigel O'Rorke said he had not seen the policy but the company was currently not allowed to log native trees.

Buller District Council Mayor Martin Sawyers said the West Coast had moved on.

"I would have to say we were better off getting the $120 million because private companies have had a go at [sustainable beech logging] and they have had fairly limited success," he said.

"I would be extremely sceptical if what they are proposing is a sustainable beech scheme. Beech trees are very hard to mill."

Some of the compensation money was in the bank, some had been used for "two failed ventures" and some "invested in some successful things".

Conservation Minister Chris Carter said he was appalled by the policy, which could lead to some logging on the rest of the conservation estate - 1.5 million hectares - not in national parks or reserves.

There was already more native timber from private indigenous forests than the market could handle.

Forest Owners Association chief executive David Rhodes said his organisation was focused on plantation forestry, mostly radiata pine and douglas fir.

Forest and Bird spokesman Kevin Hackwell said the campaign over beech logging had been hard-fought over 30 years. "This is a roll-back. It's one of the things voters should be looking closely at."