Game society’s role in water allocation

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32458, 19 November 1970, Page 18

Game society’s role in water allocation

The part the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society was expected to take in carrying out provisions of the Water and Soil Conservation Act was criticised by at least two members , of the society’s council last evening. The chairman of the water conservation and pollution committee (Mr P. C. Dawson) reported that applications for water rights had been reviewed last month. Five objections had been lodged against the extraction of water from streams, and one objection to the discharge of industrial waste. Mr G. W. Thompson asked whether the society should be concerned with who took water—its interest lay in maintaining a minimum flow in a stream. The responsibility for allocating the water was the catchment board’s. Mr G. Mugford said that the society was often listed

as an objector to applications by farmers, giving the society a poor image with them. He criticised the water conservation and pollution committee for the way in which the matter had been handled. Mr F. J. Gorton said that control of water had caused problems all over the world and control could not be carried out properly without somebody becoming unpopular. The society had a job to do and it should not be frightened to do it. He commended the action the water conservation committee had taken. Mr W. H. Robinson also supported the committee. Mr Dawson said that the society was not trying to help the catchment board allocate the wafer, it was simply stating the amount of water it wanted left in a stream.