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Tread lightly to keep Mavora Lakes special
DOC Fiordland principal recreation ranger Grant Tremain says with a run of long weekends on the horizon, now is a great time to remind campers, trampers and outdoor enthusiasts to share the spaces respectfully.
“In the Southland region we’re lucky to have places like Mavora Lakes just a stone’s throw from civilisation. That makes it a very popular place with locals and those from further afield coming to enjoy this special place.
However, that can lead to some issues, Grant says.
“One of the great things about Mavora is that you can do a range of different things like motorbiking, four-wheel driving (4WD) and taking your dog or horse, that can’t be done in other areas like National Parks.
BROOK SABIN
There is a part of New Zealand so remote, humans have never touched the vast majority of its enormous landscape. And here s how you can explore it.
Kiwis have certainly been doing their duty since the nationwide lockdown ended in backing tourism operators in their backyard, but some regions are still doing it tough. Beaches and lakes within a three-hour drive of our biggest cities have fared the best over summer, with the Coromandel and Tasman District proving particularly busy, Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief executive Chris Roberts said. Areas further afield which relied heavily on overseas visitors before borders closed are struggling, however, with the likes of Queenstown, Fiordland and Westland unusually quiet over the Christmas-New Year period, he said.
Clive Palmer coal mine poses significant risks to Great Barrier Reef, scientists say
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Clive Palmer is the sole owner of Central Queensland Coal.
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Businessman Clive Palmer s plan to mine coal near the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area has been condemned by Commonwealth-appointed experts who say they see no way to remove the proposal s threat to the reef.
Key points:
It says the mine risks causing significant and irreversible damage
CQC says its own draft EIS finds no significant impact to the reef
The Independent Expert Scientific Committee (IESC) has expressed extreme concern about the proposed Central Queensland Coal (CQC) project, which it said posed very significant risks to reef waters and other internationally recognised assets .
Robert Irwin has seemingly ruffled a few feathers among nature lovers, after the 17-year-old was linked to a helicopter, which reportedly breached world heritage guidelines. Taking to Instagram on last week, the wildlife warrior shared footage from a helicopter tour of Mount Geryon in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in Tasmania.
In response to an inquiry from the Mercury, the general manager Australia Zoo Luke Reavley said he was not aware of the incident but Mr Irwin was not responsible for the helicopter s flight path. Obviously being a child under the age of 18, Robert wouldn t have been in control of where the helicopter travelled, he said. The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area is governed by a Fly Neighbourly Agreement between the Parks Service and helicopter operators to promote the harmonious relationship between aviation activities and environmental and conservation interests . The agreement is mentioned in the World Heritage Area Management Plan. Flights in and through the SAs should be kept to a minimum, and aircraft should be operated at an altitude and configuration that will minimise noise and visual impact for ground observers, the agreement reads.