No names yet for meat authority

Press, 15 October 1976, Page 6

No names yet for meat authority

r By Cedric Mentiplay Although it is more than two weeks since the Meat Amendment (No. 3) act received the Royal assent, the Government has not yet announced the membership of the new Meat Industry Authority. It is considered urgent that the authority should be in operation because there has been considerable delay already in the processing of a number of applications for new or extended meat works in different parts of the country. The delay in naming the members of the new authority is thought to have occurred because the New Zealand Meatworkers' Union, which has its headquarters in Christchurch. and the Auckland Freezing Workers’ Union cannot agree who is to represent them on the authority. A decision is not now expected until next week.

Under the act, the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries (Mr Maclntyre) is reqired to recommend to the Governor-General the appointment of one member of the authority after consultation with the New Zealand Meat Board, one member after consultation with the New Zealand Freezing Companies' Association, and one member after consultation with organisations representing employees in the meat industry. Mr Maclntyre has already had discussions with representatives of the two meat unions and the Federation of Labour, but so far no agreement has been reached on the appointment of the employees’ representative. The Minister is believed to be ready to name the other members of the authority. The delay is serious because some of the applications for new or

extended meat works have already been before the meat board for some time. The board refrained from making firm recommendations on the applications because it claimed it did not want to preempt the powers of the new authority. Meat companies and farmers have already expressed disappointment and frustration over the delays. Applications on which the new authority will be required to make decisions include new or extended works or abattoirs at Taumaranui (R and W. Hellaby, Ltd). Takapau (Hawke’s Bay Farmer’s Meat Company, Ltd), Dannevirke (Pacific Freezing, N.Z., Ltd), Rangiuru (Auckland Farmers Freezing Co-operative, Ltd) and a new West Coast regional abbattoir, with an export packing house attached.