2,4,5-T, tourist tax, conference issues

Press, 7 June 1980, Page 7

2,4,5-T , tourist tax, conference issues

Use of the herbicide ■2,4,5-T, a tourist tax, South Island transport and Government /oading funds are among issues to be raised at the annual conference of the Counties Association, in Christchurch. Thirty-nine remits have been submitted for the t h r e e-day conference, ■starting on June 10. Delegates from 100 county and district councils will attend. A call for the association to support the unrestricted pse of 2,4,5-T will come from. Masterton County. Its remit says there is no evidence to show the chemical is harmful to health when used correctly. A “biased” news media had aided pressure to ban 2,4,5-T by giving coverage “to certain uninformed factions who are whipping up a hate campaign,” it says. Without the herbicide. many tens of thousands of acres would revert back to gorse, the conference will be told. A remit from Manganui County se»ks support for a local authority 7 “tourist tax” to be charged against accommodation in selected

areas to'lielp finance basic services. Tourist areas had a problem in financing from rates facilities and services well be. ond the needs of the local community, the remit says. The size of the tax and its imposition would be decided by the local authority. The association should tell the Government that inter-island transport idsruptions are “strangling” South r iland industry, according to Waitaki County. The economic effects on many industries of strikes and lack of a Lyttelton-to-Wellington shipping service cannot be tolerated, its remit says. Several remits call for greater Government work .on county roading. All counties have experienced a rundown in roading because financial allocations have not, kept up with costs and because of increasing haulage weights, according to a Waitaki remit. Another remit, from the Manawatu counties, says the improvement of rural roading is of national importance and should at-

tract national u.zelopment funds. It calls for the Government to provide funds additional to the present county sector allocation. Paparua County wants statutory requirement that possible ground instability problems be recorded against the title of the land concerned. A remit says while there are satisfactory provisions for the control of subdivision of land which may be unstable, there is a need'to indicate to prospective purchasers where land has been filled or reclaimed in the past. A remit from Waimairi County seeks amendment to the Local Government Amendment Act, 1974, in relation to local authority provision of camping ground -.ccommodation. The proposed amendment would broaden the scope of facilities which could be provided with this type of accommodation, it says. Several remits tn the conference call for review of noxious plant control legislation. There are also calls for the Government to maintain rural services, particularly the country court-house service and support for medical services through an increase in the present Rural Practice Bonus. The question of non-re-turnable beverage bottles will be raised again, with a Waimairi County remit calling for Government action to prohibit sales of such bottles. The call for drivers’ licences to carry photographs will be renewed. Akaroa County wants the . Government to complete its investigations oh the use of photographs, which it says would prevent the wrongful use of licences and help with identification of accident victims.