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.
