Topdressers fear their industry will collapse

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33741, 14 January 1975, Page 3

Topdressers fear their industry will collapse

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND.

Scores of men are being put out of work and millions of dollars worth of aircraft, helicopters and loading trucks are lying idle throughout New Zealand as the aerial topdressing industry faces its worst crisis in years.

The president of the Aviation Industry Association, Mr J. O’Donell, of Hamilton, and the managers of several of the North Island’s principal operators confirm this.

Among the biggest, James Aviation has not replaced 25 men who have left or retired and has dismissed 30 more in the last few months.

The firm’s managingdirector, Mr W.. James, says that most of his fleet of 48 fixed wing aircraft and 12 helicopters, stationed throughout New Zealand, are lying idle. Barr Bros, Ltd, which opertftes nine aircraft, has laid off 24 men from its flying and engineering sections. Robertson Air Services, of Hamilton, which has 15 aircraft, has not replaced three employees and has laid off nine according to Mr O’Donnell, who runs the firm. WAGE GUARANTEE Mr O’Donnell says the association envisaged the crisis in September last year and made full submissions to the Government in October, but nothing had been done until last week when operators were told that the Development Finance Corporation would gur .ntee wages <and salaries of remaining staff for the next two months. “While this assistance is welcome, it is only short term,” he said. “Unless a long-term solution is found to the crisis faced by farmers and, consequently, by

ourselves, our industry could lose up to 75 per cent of its employees.

“This is one of our most disturbing concerns. If we lose all that expertise we

have built up in our firms over the years, we will almost have to start from scratch when the time comes to rebuild.” LITTLE WORK He says that the only answer is for the Government immediately to accede to the association’s principal submission — give farmers enough money to allow them to topdress their farms. “If this is not done, not only will our industry fall apart, but farmers’ pastures will deteriorate and our vital primary production will suffer,” said Mr O’Donnell. The manager of Barr Bros (Mr M. Curley) says that in the last month, the company’s aircraft have had 2| days work between Huntly and Kaiwaka. “We’ve just got nothing booked. We’re living from day to day. If it wasn’t for the Development Finance Corporation assistance I don’t know what we’d do. “One, of the worst features of the whole thing is that agricultural aircraft and associated equipment can’t be used for anything else.”

Mr James said: “It causes me tremendous distress to find that, for the first time

in the 25-year history of James Aviation, we are faced with retrenchment.

“This situation has very serious implications for the farmers, but it is little consolation to us to know that his problems are at least 10 times worse than ours.”