Water Spies In Melbourne

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31551, 13 December 1967, Page 9

Water Spies In Melbourne

especial Crtpdt. N.Z.P.A.) SYDNEY, December 12. Neighbourly love is disappearing fast in droughtstricken Melbourne where the city water board is receiving about 50 complaints a day front people complaining that their neighbours are breaking water restrictions. Many people are using “water watching” as an excuse to settle old scores, and some are going to extreme lengths to “dob in” their neighbours. One reported the man next door for filling up his dog’s water bowl. Another complained that a woman neighbour was filling the bird bath with water.

Board officials report that another common complaint is from the keen gardener envious of the green lawns over the road who reckons that the neighbour must be cheating to get his grass looking so well. But the water detectives have caught many offenders in the act of illegally hosing cars and gardens, and filling swimming pools as a result of telephone “tip-offs.” “We encourage these people to tell us about the cheats,” said a board official, Mr Kevin Hayes. “After all, they are letting the side down.” He stressed that the name of the person reporting a neighbour is kept secret, and said most did not seem to enjoy acting as an unpaid spy. “They usually say: ‘I hate doing this—l feel like a policeman. But it isn’t fair to the rest of us.’ ” "THE PRESS” HAS a team of trained opera tors who will be pleased to help or advise you on al) aspects of CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING For a nominal cost (minimum 35c), “THE PRESS*’ dally readership of more than 70.000 FAMILIES ensures the right people at the right time, at a price you can afford. BUSINESS OR PERSONAL DIAL 50-198 “THE PRESS”