Rabbit Boards Proposed For Million-Acre Area

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28975, 17 August 1959, Page 9

Rabbit Boards Proposed For Million-Acre Area

The establishment of three new rabbit boards in more than one million acres of country in North Canterbury is proposed by the Rabbit Destruction Council. The area, between the Ashlefr and Rakaia rivers, is one of the main parts of the east coast of the South Island still outside board control. It includes the city.

In a circular to be sent to 4200 ratepayers in the area this week, the secretary of the Rabbit Destruction Council (Mr'D. M. P. Hay) says that until all areas carrying rabbits, however lightly they are infested, are subjected to the organised operations of a rabbit board, there is no hope of eliminating the pest.

Farmers in the areas concerned had said from time to time they would more readily support a scheme which took in all the country carrying rabbits rather than one in small areas which still left out land carrying rabbits. Mr Hay says. The scheme now proposed was a comprehensive one to give full coverage of the Canterbury plains. The three suggested districts within this area are the Waimakariri, of 249,000 acres between the Ashley and Waimakariri rivers, the Plains district, of 473.000 acres between the Waimakariri and Selwyn, including the city of Christchurch, and the Lower Rakaia district, of 328,000 acres between the Selwyn and the Rakaia rivers. The total area involved is 1,050.000 acres. Existing rabbit boards on the boundaries of the area include the Ashley, Upper Rakaia and Banks Peninsula boards.

It is expected that a proposal will be made later for rabbit board coverage in the area immediately south of the districts in the present proposals—from

the Rakaia to the south Ashburton rivers.

Mr A. Forrester, assistant livestock superintendent of the Department of Agriculture in Christchurch and a member of the Rabbit Destruction Council, said it was felt that the rate in the proposed area should not exceed 4d an acre, but he added that if boards were formed in the proposed districts ratepayers would elect their own members to these bodies and it would be the responsibility of the boards to strike the rate. Rates would be struck for one year and once rabbit numbers declined the rate could be reduced. In the circular, Mr Hay says that as a very large proportion of the area had a low infestation the low rate suggested should deal with the problem. While it was not suggested that farmers affected would reap anything like the benefit, Mr Forrester recalled that in inland areas farmers had paid rates on the basis of from Is 9d a sheep up to 7s in one extreme case. In the area in question where a sheep was carried to the acre the charge would not be more than 4d a sheep and where carrying capacity was two sheep to the acre it would be not more than 2d a sheep. A questionnaire is being sent with the circular seeking opinions on whether ratepayers are in favour’ of their properties being included in a rabbit district. These have to be returned by September 18. Questionnaires not returned will be regarded as a vote in favour. It is believed that a 51 per cent, return in favour will be sufficient to carry a proposal in a district. The Minister of Agriculture has power to form a rabbit district even without a majority of ratepayers being in favour of it. but of the 208 boards so far formed in New Zealand not one has been established compulsorily. Meetings Planned

Meetings to discuss the proposals will be held at Rangiora on the evening of August 25, at Lincoln on the afternoon of August 26. at Darfield on the evening of August 26. and at Dunsandel on the evening of August 27. These meetings will be attended by members of the Rabbit Destruction Council, including the chairman, Mr G. B. Baker, of Timaru, Mr J. Gibson, representing the Department of Agriculture, chairmen of neighbouring boards, and the president of the North Canterbury Rabbit Boards’ Association, Mr Bruce Nicholl. While Christchurch city falls within the boundaries of the proposed Plains district, the formation of the board will only affect ratepayers who own at least 10 acres.