18 Mar 2014

Thousands sign monorail petition

6:54 pm on 18 March 2014

Opponents of a monorail through conservation land in Fiordland have presented a petition with 18,000 signatures to Clutha-Southland MP and Finance Minister Bill English.

The group, Save Fiordland, also got 10,000 online signatures against the development, which would run through the Snowdon Forest to Te Anau Downs.

Spokesperson Robin McNeill, who is also the president of the Federated Mountain Clubs, said the petition was presented to Mr English at Parliament on Tuesday evening.

"We're worried about what it's going to do for our tramping and hunting and other recreation in the Snowden Forest and the areas around there.

"And frankly, we don't buy the idea that this is an economically good idea. If you really want to have a monorail, it should go from Britomart to Mangere Airport (in Auckland) - not through a World Heritage Park."

Mr McNeill said many people are saying no to the monorail - and politicians who ignore that strength of public sentiment do so at their peril.

No decision has been made on whether the monorail project will go ahead.