Rabbit Board Control By County Councils

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31017, 24 March 1966, Page 9

Rabbit Board Control By County Councils

Rabbit boards should be brought within the scope of the Local Government Commission for their work could effectively be done by counties, said Mr R. J. Roberts (Paparua), at the annual meeting in Christchurch yesterday of Ward 11 of the New Zealand

Counties’ Association. “There are 50 or 60 countyrabbit boards,” said the chairman, Mr C. N. Mackenzie. “You can imagine how disappointed our association was. after battling for it, when some counties handed over the job to the neighbouring rabbit board.” He agreed that counties could at least take over rabbit board administrative duties and rate collections. The discussion started on a request by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Seath) for counties' views on a proposed review of the Local Government Commission Act Mr C. D. Le Comte (Heathcote) said the Minister should have made submissions to counties for their comments. “One-Way Ticket” He thought the legislation should provide for county areas taken in by cities to revert to their counties. At the moment it was a one-way ticket with the counties being losers all the time.

The meeting considered remits for this year’s counties’ conference. It supported a Waimairi remit that consideration be given to uniting with the Municipal Association to form one territorial local authority association.

Another Paparua remit asking for full National Roads Board subsidy on State highway lighting costs was approved. Paparua had to pay £lBOO a year, subsidised £3 for £4, for highway lighting for traffic only in a semi-rural locality, it was claimed. Fire Services

Approval was given to a remit that subsidies be paid under the Forest and Rural Fires Act on fire services given by county fire units. Unless these services were given by volunteer brigades no subsidy was paid, it was stated. Mr Mackenzie (Waipara) was re-elected ward chairman and its representative on the counties’ association executive. Mr W. R. Oliver (Malvern) was re-elected deputychairman. Mr B. P. McManus, clerk-elect to the Waipara County Council, was elected secretary to succeed Mr G. Seton-Kellaway, who is retiring.