Increase In Nassella Tussock Board’s Work

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30051, 8 February 1963, Page 6

Increase In Nassella Tussock Board’s Work

With three months to the end of the year, hours worked by employees of the North Canterbury NaseUa Tussock Board showed an increase of a third over the previous year, the board was toild at its meeting at Cheviot yesterday. Hours worked in the period from April 1, 1962 to December 20, 1962 were 100.041, compared with about 75,000 for the whole of the previous period from April 1, 1961, to April 1, 1962.

Payments from April 1, 1962, to February 7 also showed an increase, and amounted to £90,453 6s sd. of this, £36,874 14s 5d was accounted tor by wages and £14,367 Is lid by staff salaries, telephones and travelling. Plant expenses amounted to £2943 17s 6d. and herbicides to £16,426 19s Id. Much of the remainder was absorbed by hostel and camp maintenance and upkeep.

Seedling Spraying The board decided to bring in seedling control spraying on one-year-old pastures. Extracts were read from a paper on seedling control presented to the New Zealand Weed Control Conference in July, 1962, by Mr W. F. Leonard, scientific officer of the Department of Agriculture. Christchurch, who is the board’s technical adviser. Tests with low rate of chemicals had shown success in seedling control on one-year-old pasture with ground application. The chairman (Mr T. G. Maxwell* remarked that if the board could use the system it would reduce the work necessary and also the costs. The board decided to make the method available to those who wanted ft. Board staff would find out who wanted it for one-year-old pasture and calculate an estimated cost. Tender* for application of the spraying would be obtahted from contraeflirs. The work would be done art the lowest cost, which would be borne by the farmer* concerned. The board would arrange for the work to be done and provide supervision and advtoe. It was also decided to make £75 available for experiments in the aerial application of the low-rate spray.

Grabbing Camp* Grubbing work would be recommended with gangs starting operation within a week or two, depending on weather and the availability of staff, said the report of the secretary-manager (Mr F. J.

Foley). It was expected there would be sufficient manpower available to reopen moat of the camps and hostels. Advantage waa being taken

of university student* and high school pupils resident in Cheviot.

Good progress was being made with the building of the Cheviot hostel. It was expected it would be completed within the next month. After the meeting the board inspected the new buildi n-g. A tender for the aerial application of kill spray had been let to Rudnteks Helicopters, Ltd., at a rate of £2 an acre if the acreage was in excess of 1200, but £2 2s an acre ft leas than 1200 acres. So far the firm bad sprayed 60 acres, and work would proceed as weather permitted. The report of the chief inspector (Mr W. L. Kay) raid the grubbing tame worked by board labour during the three weeks before cloemg down the camps amounted to 11,185 man-hour*. A letter wa* received by the board seeking comments on the Local Government Commission regional plan-

ning scheme. The board resolved that the evidence did not convince it the plan would be workable, and it was convinced it would be • disadvantage to such a board ae the nassella tuaaock boards.

"I think we ought to word it strongly," said Mr A. A. Macfarlane. when the board decided the reply to the letter would be along the lines of the resolution.