POWER LINES ON FARMLAND

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27633, 14 April 1955, Page 12

POWER LINES ON FARMLAND

PLACING CRITICISED AT WAIMATE HINDRANCE TO WORK BY AIRCRAFT Ow iOwn Reporter) ■- t n WAIMATE, April 13. “Everyone accepted this first power transmission line as a mark of the progress the country was making, but to be plastered with four more is a bit tough,” said Mr J. S. Royds at the annual meeting of Waimate Federated Farmers protesting against the present plahs for the extension of the Rox-burgh-Islington power lines. “As the setup now is,” Mr Royds said, “there are to be -five lines when Roxburgh is fully developed, and where aerial work on hill country such as topdressing and spraying of gorse is concerned it is nothing but disastrous. As an illustration, on my property, an aeroplane cleared the lines by just 10 feet—that was without a load and from a runway of half a mile. I think ’ this is a matter that should be taken up in Wellington between Federated Farmers and the Minister.”

“These lines have got to go somewhere and they will be sited by the Government where best suited,” said Mr J. A. Hurst. “People whose property is damaged by land being occupied by the lines have a clear claim where they cannot use aerial topdressing and spraying. I am not going to say where the lines should go but I think that justice should be done in this matter. The legal rights of the farmers concerned should be preserved."

Mr Royds said that in a majority of cases, not more than one line would go through any property. ‘The way my property lies the next line would have to be five miles away to miss it,” he said. “If it was flat ground it would be more easily treated. The plan to have the lines one mile apart means I will be plastered with the five and they will be a great hindrance to burning, spraying and aerial topdressing.

“The compensation offering is not compensation at all. I would gladly pay the £7 10s a pole a year not to have the pylons,” said Mr Royds. A motion by Mr Royds that the matter of the proposed extension of the Roxburgh-Islington power lines be discussed at the next South Canterbury executive meeting was carried.