NEW OFF-STREET CAR PARK

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29154, 15 March 1960, Page 11

NEW OFF-STREET CAR PARK

‘ Area To Be Sealed Soon

Levelling and metalling in preparation for sealing is now in progress on the Christchurch City Council’s off-street parking area in Tuam street, formerly owned by p. and D. Duncan, Ltd. It will have space for about 200 vehicles. The deputy-mayor (Cr. H. P. Smith) said that, with Cr. W. P. Glue, he had been authorised to report to the council on methods of running the parking area. They would discuss the relative merits of automatic gates as opposed to attendants and also provision for casual and all-day parking. Cr. Smith said there seemed to be a demand for longer park* ing than that provided by meters and he was inclined to favour an attendant who could adjust charges according to the time actually used in parking. GUM-TREE BEETLE SPREADS Reports In North Island "The Press'- Special Service AUCKLAND, March 13. The Australian eucalyptus tortoise beetle, or Parapsis dilatata, which was first reported in the North Island in 1956. has now spread as far north as Henderson, according to the associateentomologist of the Auckland War Memorial MUseum, Mr K. A. J. Wise said that this year, for the first time, the museum was receiving specimens of the beetle in numbers for identification purposes. The beetle was first found in New Zealand in 1916 near Lyttelton. It was probably brought from Australia in gum-tree

plants. It was confined to the South Island until 1956, when it was found damaging nursery eucalyptus plants at Palmerston North. The eggs of the beetle are laid on gum leaves on which both the grub and the beetle? feed. The beetle, round-backed like a tortoise, is half an inch long, and about a quarter of an inch wide. It varies in colour from cream to red.