Vandalism blocks eel farm project

Press, 26 February 1980, Page 6

Vandalism blocks eel farm project

Vandalism is blocking the ’development of eel farming near Lake Ellesmere, and the Ellesmere County Council has been asked to help combat it. 1 Among other acts of vandalism, 300 kg of live eels were removed from their holding tanks and hacked to pieces with machetes, a Lakeside farmer. Mr T. J. Gould, said in a letter to the ‘Council. j Petro! had been constantly removed from tractors on Mr Gould’s property, eels in the holding tanks had been shot at, freshwater crayfish had been removed from tanks, and-, two boats bad been holed 'bv bullets, the council was .told yesterday.

Vandals gain access to the farm down Johnstons Road, which runs down to Lake

Ellesmere on one boundary I of Mr Gould's property. Mr Gould asked the! county if the road could be either closed or leased to him. Access to the lake would be little hampered, as other roads nearby also provided good access, and anyone who asked permission would also be granted access through his property, hej said.

Unless something was done a proposal to develop ponds on the property at a cost of almost $lBO,OOO would be too risky. Mr, Gould said.

The police had told him I that detection of the . vandals ! was difficult because the property was isolated and there was no consistent pattern to-the-vandalism.

The County Planner (Mr I. D, Dalton) told the council

I that the obvious solution I was for the county to close I the road and lease or sell [the land to Mr Gould.' The Assistant Commissioner of Crown Lands in Christchurch had said ’that the Minister of Lands (Mr V. S. Young) was unlikely to agree to the proposal.-; . ’ I Aside from suggesting that Mr Gould fence the bodndlary between his property land Johnstons Roadyto.make Lome obstacle fdrithe vanidals. there was "virtually no ■ official action” the; .county could take to help him, Mr Dalton said. ; County Councillors were sympathetic to Mr Gould’s I plea. - and asked county i staff to investigate further any possibility of helping Mr Gould, including making more formal applications to the Minister of Lands.