Council unhappy about vineyard

Press, 5 October 1977, Page 34

Council unhappy about vineyard

A vineyard, which is being established on the lower Port Hills, may not be able to go ahead if a proposed variation to the Paparua district scheme is approved. The Paparua County Council wants to exclude vineyards as a predominant use in the rural zone of the county' so that anyone wishing toj establish vineyards must ask for specified departure from the council. Cr A. Y. Shuker, who moved that the change be made, said it seemed that a vineyard was already being established in the lower Port Hills area. “Unfortunately it is in an area which is most prone to noxious weeds and, because it is hill country, aerial spraying is the easiest way to destroy the noxious weeds.” To protect vineyards it was necessary to forbid spraying of noxious weeds within a radius of five miles, he told the meeting. Cr Shuker said he believed that -the establishment of vineyards had serious consequences for a vast number of people in the area. People could, unwittingly,

spray noxious weeds on their land, and cause irreparable damage to a vineyard. But. Ift unchecked, noxious weeds were a great problem on farm land, he said. The change to the town planning scheme would be for the protection of both 'sides, Cr Shuker said. The I owner of the vineyard must not be at risk from a neighbouring farmer who was spraying noxious weeds on i his property, yet the farmer must be able to control noxious weed growth on his land. It was obvious that the ; area where a vineyard could be established would have to be carefully selected, he said. Who would pax' the expense when the entire outlay of the vineyards were ruined because someone, two miles away, had sprayed their land, ; unaware that there was a ; vineyard in the area? Cr ’ Shuker asked. I The County Engineer (Mr J. D. Annan) said that the [ county noxious weeds inspec- ’ tor had expressed concern that vineyards would be ' established near the lower Port Hills, a problem area , for noxious weeds.