PLANTATIONS IN CANTERBURY

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27213, 3 December 1953, Page 10

PLANTATIONS IN CANTERBURY

FARMERS CRITICISE - SELWYN BOARD

DEPUTATION TO WAIT ON MINISTER

Dissatisfaction with the county representation on the belwyn Plantation Board and the manner in which tne Selwyn Plantation Board Bill was

•‘rushed’’ through the committee stages beiore Federated farmers could give its views was expressed by Mr K. W. J. Hall in a report to the executive of tne North Canterbury provincial qistnct of Federated Farmers yesterday. After a snort discussion of the report, it was decided that a deputation comprising Messrs Hall and W. G. Logan snouid wait on the Minister of Lands (Mr E. B. Corbett) to present tne federation’s views on the constitution of the board.

Mr Hall said that in April last year the executive requested Mr Corbett to have the board reconstituted so that the members should be elected from the constituent counties in th? same proportion as the area of reserves in eacn county. In September the same year the Minister directed the board io hold a special meeting to consider an alteration pf its constitution. Al this meeting it was decided that the Seiwyn and Malvern counties should each have one more representative on the board. Federated Farmers were not invited to the meeting. Mr Hall outlined the ehorts made to have a deputation wait on the Minister so it could explain why it considered the new representation of the board was inadequate, but the Minister had not yet agreed to hear tne federation’s views, “and he has brought down this bill, which I consider to be quite inadequate.’’ He said he had received a copy of the bill from Mr J. K. McAlpine, M.P., but not until it had passed the committee stage. “So the bill was rushed through in the closing days of the session without Federated Farmers having been given an opportunity to express its views on it.’’

Mr Hall said the constitution of the board was only a slight improvement on the old constitution which had proved to be unsatisfactory to farmers adjoining the board’s properties. All of the 16,485 acres controlled by the board were in the Seiwyn, Malvern, Springs, Tawcra, Ellesmere and Paparua counties, and there were 129 acres of unplanted reserve in the Waimairi county. The Heathcote and Halswell counties and Christchurch had no plantations or reserves controlled by the board. Board’s Work Criticised

“Under the policy of the present board, which consists of one member from each county or city and the Commissioner of Crown Lands, tfie board's reserves and especially the cut-out plantations have oecome a great nuisance, a considerable expense, and a definite danger to the farmers adjoining them. The cut-out plantations are allowed to become overgrown with Caliiornian thistles, blackberry, gorse and broom, which are allowed to seetf and spread far and wide on neigh* bouring farm land,’’ he said. “In the last seven years the board has logged 1000 acres, but has replanted only 220 acres,” said Mr Hall. “I consider that to leave nearly 800 acres unplanted and growing nothing but noxious weeds to be a grave injustice to neighbouring farmers who are put to the trouble and expense of trying to check the spread of these weeds on to good farm land. Rabbits are allowed to breed in some plantations and do considerable damage. Fires are sometimes started during or after logging operations, and sometimes do considerable damage to neighbouring farms.’’ Mr Hall said he considered that the board should consist of members appointed in the same proportion as the area of plantation reserve in the re-

spective county. This would be: Seiwyn, five; Malvern, two; Springs and Tawera, one each; Ellesmere, Paparua and Waimairi, one joint representative. “The Seiwyn board has been a nuisance for some years,’’ said Mr Logan. “I can’t find anything good to say about it. I think the Minister should have given us the opportunity of airing our views, instead of which he rushed through this bill t o soothe those with complaints. Well, he hasn’t soothed mine.’’ In answer to a question from Mr L. C. Gardiner, Mr Hall said the Minister had suggested a certain time and place to meet a deputation from the executive, but that through some error the executive did not hear about it. “He did not let us know about it, however. How can he meet us if he doesn’t let us know?” said Mr Hall.