Irrigation report “doesn’t exist”

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32700, 1 September 1971, Page 3

Irrigation report “doesn’t exist”

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, August 31. The Department of Agriculture report on irrigation in Canterbury, referred to by Mr K. M. Baxter in his speech to the Canterbury Progress League last Wednesday night, does not exist, according to the Minister of Works (Mr Allen) in Parliament today.

Mr Baxter had complained that the report was still confidential. Mr Allen was replying to a question by Mr M. A. Connelly (Lab., Wigram) who quoted “The Press” of August 26. Mr Connelly asked for the report to be made available to interested parties.

“In fact no such report was prepared for the Water Allocation Council’s working committee,” Mr Allen said, “although the Department of Agriculture did supply a large amount of data on various aspects of irrigation to the committee, a considerable amount of which has been incorporated .in the report.

“The information was prepared specifically for the

working committee, and its release would be a matter foi the Water Allocation Council to consider. However, as the working committee's thorough and extensive report has made full use of the informmation supplied by the Department of Agriculture, there seems to be no benefit in releasing the original information.”

Answering several requests by Mr Connelly for the information, Mr Allen said it would be a chaotic situation if all information prepared for committees also were released generally. He added that if Mr Connelly made specific requests for particular information, the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Carter) would see it was provided. <