RIVER CONTROL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 41, 28 November 1941, Page 3

RIVER CONTROL

NOMINATIONS FOR THE COUNCIL. * FOUR SOUTH ISLAND MEN. (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. River boards of the South Island, at a conference in Christchurch yesterday, decided to recommend four names to the Minister for Public Works to guide him in his selection of two local body and river control authority members of the New Zealand Council set up under the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act. The conference Considered that at least one of the two members appointed under the local body and river control authority classification should be a South Island river board member. Mr F. W. Freeman, chairman of the Waimakariri River Trust, presided, and other river control authorities represented included the Tairi River Board, Clutha River Board, Wairau River Board, Ellesmere Land Drainage Board, and the Ashburton County Council.

Mr Freeman said the Minister for Fublie Works had suggested that it would help him in appointing members of the New Zealand Council set up under the act, if a conference of South Island river control authorities were held and nominated a candidate to him. The act provided for three non-Government representatives—two from local bodies (which the Minister classified as one representing municipal authorities and eounty councils and the other representing river boards and land drainage districts) and one from agricultural and pastoral interests. None of these would be elected members —they were to be chosen by the Minister. The Minister had indicated that an experienced elected member of a river board rather than a board’s engineer was looked for as nominee of the conference. It appeared that the nomination of a single representative was asked for, said Mr Freeman. He added that at least two North Island groups had already sent in their nominations. Mr H. B. Anderson asked how the annual rate revenue of North Island and South Island river boards compared. Mr J. W. Fenton (Clutha River Board) said the South Island total was '£158,000 and the North Island £142,000. Mr G. Kelly (Ashburton County Council) said many county councils were doing river control work but their figures were not included in the official statistics. Power in Minister’s Hands. Mr W. Machin (Waimakariri River Trust) said the conference should be unanimous in its nomination. ’ ‘‘The Act is another example of legislation placing complete power in the hands of a Minister (whose decisions are final and permitted of no appeal) after taking .power out of the hands of elected representatives of. the people, reducing members of local bodies to the position of puppets, but leaving them liable to be charged with the cost of the functions taken away from them,” he said. “The method of the Act, which deals with a necessary national development, is a short cut in organisation both autocratic and bureaucratic, which is the negation of the method of local government in New Zealand until recent years.” Mr J. Moore (Ashburton County Council) said most of the work of the council would concern a scientific survey rather than interference with, local bodies. It would be a directing and consulting body, concerned with the task of conservation.

Mr Freeman said lie thought one outcome of the Act would be the merging of a number of small river control authorities.

“Why not ask the Minister to appoint two members for river boards—one from the North Island and one from the South?’’ asked Mr Fenton. “We know this would mean altering, the Act. We in Otago are in favour of putting up three or four names for the Minister to choose from. We want a man who can devote the whole of his time to this thing and work without a parochial mind.” Mr Fenton added that river control authorities should form an association like the counties’ Association, so that when the need arose they could speak with one voice. Mr A. J. Mcl>. Miller (Clutha) said the Act itself provided merely that there should be two members representing the whole body of municipal authorities, county councils, river boards, and so on. There was no division into one representative of river hoards one one for the others. That division was merely the Minister’s interpretation, and he could be urged to change his mind. There could be one representative for each of the islands without any change in the Act. Mr J. Moore Nominated. Mr H. W. Wilson (Taieri River Board) said his organisation considered the best procedure would be to submit three or four names to the Minister for his final selection. Whatever the Act provided, the conference should insist that the South Island was represented.

Mr E. S. Parker (Wairau River Board) said he considered the Act was necessary, although its administration wotild have to be watched. His board was willing to defer to Canterbury in the nomination of a representative. On the motion of Mr Spencer, it was decided to submit four names to the Minister.

Mr Spencer nominated Mr Freeman, who declined on the ground that he could not attend to his own business and give the council’s work the attention it would need. Mr H. Holland then nominated Mr W. Maehin (Waimakariri River Trust), Mt Kelly nominated Mr J. Moore (Ashburton County Council), Mr Anderson nominated Mr Wilson (Taieri fever Board) and Mr Miller nominated Mr Fenton (Clutha River Board). On the motion of Mr Machin it was

resolved that the conference approved the idea of the formation of a River Boards’ Association. It was left to Mr Fenton to carry the proposal further.