Noxious Weeds

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32252, 21 March 1970, Page 10

Noxious Weeds

Sir, —A Mount Herbert councillor was fined for not cleaning noxious weeds off his property. The magistrate said that under no circumstances could a man excuse himself from the job of clearing weeds. They are a menace. I would like to know from the noxious weeds inspector, Mr H. W. Fawcett, how is it possible to fine a landowner when on the roadsides all round these bays fennel is growing in great abundance? On both sides of the road from Diamond Harbour and well up the Port Levy Road and on the picnic reserve at Purau there is nothing but a thick mat of fennel in flower and seed. I have spent dollars on weed-killer and try to keep my land clean, but you cannot win when you have all these seeds blowing in. Would Mr Fawcett say when these are going to be cleaned out and whether a landowner can summons his department for creating a nuisance?— Yours, etc., FENNEL. March 17, 1970. [Mr H. W. Fawcett, noxious weeds inspector for the Banks Peninsula Noxious Weeds Control Committee replies: “I am not prepared to comment on the contents of an anonymous letter. However, if your correspondent writes to the Banks Peninsula Noxious Weeds Committee, Box 6, Little River, the committee would be pleased to advise him on all matters regarding policy.”]