RIVER CONTROL BODIES

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24979, 13 September 1946, Page 8

RIVER CONTROL BODIES

MERGER IN CATCHMENT BOARDS

STRENGTH OF COUNCIL TO BE INCREASED

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, September 12. The dissolution of special river or drainage authorities, and their substitution by catchment boards, is provided for in the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Amendment Bill, which was introduced and read a first time in the House of Representatives this evening. Explaining the bill the Minister of Finance (the Rt. Hon. W. Nash), who acted in the absence of the Minister Works (the Hon. R. Semple) said there was provision for the reconstitution of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council by the addition of the Director-General of Agriculture, the Director of Forestry, and five persons nominated by local authorities, one of whom was to represent agricultural and pastoral interests. There was some laughter when Mr Nash said that the original act gave the. council and catchment boards the right to prevent fires, but not to put them out. This omission was now rectified. .'•Z’X..''" 2 * " /

•Power was to be given to the control council to delegate to a catchment board any of its functions relating to the management and control of soil conservation reserves. There was also power for the council to make, temporary loans to a catchment board for initial administrative costs, and to purchase plant and equipment. The bill dealt with the procedure to be J followed in the dissolution of special drainage'or river authorities, whose powers would be taken over by* catchment boards, and this procedure would apply in such cases as the Waimakariri River Trust, the Ashley River Trust, the Lower Clutha River Trust and the Manawatu-Oroua River Board, and to any other bodies whose functions were taken over by a catchment board. There was also provision for a catchment board to act as a river board.

In reply to Mr G. H. Mackley (Opposition, ’Masterton) Mr Nash said there was provision in the existing law under which river boards could classify land. Classification would continue fqr a period of six years.