In the second day of a week-long hearing into the controversial Milford Dart Ltd proposal to construct the $150 million, 11.3km Dart Passage Tunnel, beneath two national parks, Glenorchy School board of trustees spokeswoman Corrine Davis asked Doc where its voice was.
"One way we teach children about conservation is to read them the book The Lorax by Dr Seuss ...
"I would tell my children when they were young ... we have a government department, the Department of Conservation, and they are our Lorax.
"It is their job to speak for the trees and the bats and birds and waterways and anything else that needs to be protected."
Mrs Davis said the school was "greatly concerned" about the proposal, which would have a significant negative impact on the wellbeing of endangered species in the "fragile environment".
"It is with disbelief that we have been told alterations to the road shouldn't be relevant to this application.
"It is absolutely relevant.
"The existing road will need to be widened and underground power lines put in place, which will mean the removal of many mature, native beach trees."
The trees provided roosts, nesting sites and food for several endangered species and Mrs Davis said the school was "very surprised" Doc would allow any operation, private or public, which could impact on the endangered species.
"Nothing can be done to turn the close back once these species are gone from this area."
Artist John Crump, also of Glenorchy, said the whole proposal had "a very unpleasant smell about it".
"The whole thing just smells to me [of] political influence, political persuasion.
"I see the National Park as very special; not to be tampered with.
"Once the tunnel is completed I think we'll all lose something, because we [will] have turned a National Park into a commercial gain."
Mr Crump said New Zealanders had in the past been "an apathetic lot", but the reaction to MDL's proposal "hopefully shows we're changing".
"It seems to me that too often governments and local councils begin to assume an ownership attitude with assets that, in fact, have been built, maintained and paid for by the people of New Zealand.
"We even see land frequently described as "Doc owned" ... the people of New Zealand "own" the land - these public bodies are simply appointed to be its protectors. Any scheme which caused undue or unnecessary hurt and loss needed to be "reconsidered, redesigned or rejected", he said.
"For the minister and Doc to allow this proposal to get even this far is outrageous ... it devalues the valuable efforts of possibly thousands of people who have been involved in the development of our National Parks to date.
"We've all heard the story about the goose that laid the golden egg. The goose in this case is our pristine National Parks. The egg is the thousands of visitors who come to enjoy them each year.
"Let's not be the greedy owner who realises his mistake too late."
The hearing continues.
