SEAWEED AT OAMARU

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29900, 14 August 1962, Page 14

SEAWEED AT OAMARU

Burying To Be Attempted (N.Z. Press Association) DUNEDIN. August 13 A second attempt to rid Oamaru of its plague of flies and nauseating smell will be made tomorrow when a bulldozer will start covering the seaweed on the beach It is expected the operation will take about a week A trench will have to be dug and the decaying matter pushed into it. The Government, th e Oamaru Harbour Board, and the Oamaru Borough Council are partners in this attempt to rid the town of its embarrassment. Residents close to Oamaru harbour and on the South Hill have, up to now. been the greatest sufferers from the stench, but residents north of the town had a disagreeable week-end as a result of a south-easterly breeze Railwaymen met at the week-end to discuss the problem They emphasised the danger to shunters the flies were causing The railwaymen agreed however, to defer any action until the results of this week's attempt to bury the seaweed were known Earlier it was suggested that the kelp flies would not be a health hazard but. today the medical officer of health at Timaru (Dr E N. Glass’* admitted that with warmer weather the flies could carry disease “This aspect had not been considered." said a Ministrj' of Works officer when it was suggested that, because the flies were attracted by light, one way of drastically reducing their numbers would be to light fires in the decaying matter at night.