IRRIGATION Condemnation Of One-Man Reports

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30487, 8 July 1964, Page 1

IRRIGATION Condemnation Of One-Man Reports

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter)

WELLINGTON, July 7.

The opinion that there should be no more one-man reports from the Department of Agriculture on irrigation matters was expressed in Parliament today during the Budget debate by Mr J. H. George (Govt., Central Otago).

“Since the gold-mining days opinion has grown that the key to further development over a large area of the South Island is irrigation,” Mr George said. “Very little has been done, however. The last straw was applied recently when the Maniototo scheme was turned down.”

He said the initial rejection of the scheme to irrigate the Maniototo Plains was due entirely to an adverse report by the Department of Agriculture. This was departmental bureaucracy at its worst, as the report was the work of one man, and was based too much on theory. The report was questioned and the then Minister of Works had said some of the deductions made were useless under present conditions. He had asked the department to have another look at the matter.

“It was 4 agreed that important mistakes had been made,” Mr George said. “People have now lost faith in these one-man departmental reports. We feel there should be some checks and balances before such a report is fully accepted." He suggested setting up a committee of interested par-

ties. The department would be represented, of course, but should not have the sole rights of expression. “There should be a new look in future reports on irrigation matters,” Mr George said. “One-man reports should no longer be acepted without careful investigation. Before publication, they should be examined by a committee representing all interests.”