No Diagnostic Station In South Island Yet

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29246, 2 July 1960, Page 8

No Diagnostic Station In South Island Yet

rpHK South Island is still withx. Out a diagnostic Station and it seems that this will be the position for Some time to come yet. In August last year—nearly a year ago—it was announced that a South Island station was to be established at Taieri, and it Was expected that the. station would be operating early this year.

The position, in fact, is that the buildings at Taieri have yet to be converted into a station and tenders for this work only closed on Jhne 21. Mr W< A. Garth, district architect bf the Ministry of Works in Dunedin, said this Week that the Contract fof the conversion Of the Air Force buildings at Taieri provided for completion of a diagnostic building and a laboratory building by November 21 this year and bf the administration buildings, boiler house and small animal accommodation, etc., by January 31« next year. All that Dr. J. F. FilmeT, director of the animal research division of the Department of Agriculture, would say about the new station, Was that when

the buildings were ready the department Would be ready to staff it When he announced last year that the station would be established at Taieri, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Skinner, said that a number of factors influenced the decision in favour of that site. Availability of builds ings to be vacated by the Air Force that could be easily, quickly and cheaply converted for the needs of the diagnostic station and availability of former Air Force housing were particularly important and meant that a quick Start equid be made at Taieri. Only a few more words need be Written on this subject They are that at Canterbury Agricultural College there were facilities in the veterinary department waiting to be used as a diagnostic station when the Taieri decision whs made last year. With staff, a Lincoln Station could have been operating in quick time—certainly far ahead of the Taieri Station—ahd With a qtiidk air Service between Harewood and Taieri Lincoln could Have been servicing .the southern part of the South island probably as Well as Taieri—that is, When Taieri becomes operative.