The Fiordland National Park is going down the toilet on the Department of Conservation's watch, according to protesters - and they have produced some special loo paper to make their point. Doc's national park policies have been turned into "toilet paper" in a bid to raise awareness and funds to oppose the proposed Milford Dart Tunnel and Fiordland monorail. Te Anau resident John Carter, who has carried out conservation fieldwork for Doc, created the perforated roll with help from his son Jasper (5), the local photo shop and a seamstress. The printed photo canvas is wound around a roll of toilet paper and features the Fiordland National Park Management Plan, the Conservation Management Strategy and the General Policy for National Parks. Mr Carter said the idea was spurred from multiple jokes "that it [granting concession for the tunnel and monorail] turns national policy into toilet paper". "Both the developments that have been approved in principle by this current administration clearly contravene the plans that many of us have given a lot of our time, ideas and submissions to create and it upsets me to see them ignored so blatantly." He described the roll as a "hanging sculpture for the bathroom" and has listed it on an online trading site, with proceeds to go to the Save Fiordland campaign. An adviser had told the campaign an appeal against Doc's decision, if granted, could cost $100,000. Mr Carter acknowledged "we might need to sell a bit more than a few toilet rolls to take this fight further". Save Fiordland spokeswoman Daphne Taylor said the group would meet tomorrow to become an incorporated society. "We are still the small group that got together but on Sunday we become the formal incorporated society with a committee and working streams in place," she said. Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson signalled her intent to grant concessions for Milford Dart Ltd's $150 million 11.3km tunnel and Riverstone Holdings Ltd's 43km monorail, which has been met with protest from near and afar. More than 22,000 people have signed an online petition opposing the Milford Dart Tunnel, many of them international visitors who said they will not return if the proposals proceed.
a novel way of making people aware of something that needs to be taken seriously adding your message to toilet paper is going to get peoples attention
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