South Island pest boards resist change

Press, 20 July 1984, Page 19

South Island pest boards resist change

South Island pest destruction boards are strongly opposed to the proposed changes to the pest destruction industry currently before the Government. The new president of the South Island Pest Destruction Boards’ Association, Mr Laurie Moore, said delegates at the association’s conference at Mount Cook recently were against further cuts in Government funding of pest destruction and the proposed amalgamation of boards. The conference wants Government funding at the current level of $5.7 million continued. Mr Moore said the rabbit was still a pest of national importance. “Delegates felt that if funding is reduced a further $BOO,OOO to $3.7 million over the next five years as proposed, the industry will not be able to continue effectively controlling rabbit populations,” Mr Moore said. Pest destruction is currently funded partly through Government money and partly through boards rating landowners. Mr Moore is worried that if boards have to increase rates on farmers to meet most of the cost of destruc-

tion, individual boards will pull out of the national system. “If that happened, farmers would take over the boards and we would end up where we were 40 years ago, with farmers running their own systems. That didn’t work, it was a disaster,” he said. The conference passed a remit asking that boards be allowed to set rates at whatever level they thought necessary for any property. Mr Moore said rabbit population levels in the South Island were at a satisfactory level at present, except in Central Otago. However, this was because ■wet seasonal conditions had helped keep numbers down. He believed that if funding was reduced it would certainly not be possible to reduce rabbit populations. Mr Moore said delegates were also opposed to the proposal that there be “wholesale” amalgamation of pest destruction boards. But they did agree that smaller boards should be amalgamated if it could be shown that a cost saving of 15 per cent would be achieved. “Many of the smaller

boards believe they are cost efficient already,” he said. The recent review of pest destruction and the proposed cuts in funding had the industry “very worried.” If there was a reduction in spending, the first people to be affected wouid be pest board staff. “Their job security at present is not good. They are well trained and we need to keep them to maintain an effective service. Already some of them have pulled out. It is essential we look after our staff,” he said. The South Island Association, together with the North Island Association, will be drawing up its own proposals for the new Minister of Agriculture, asking that the present level of funding be retained. The conference also passed a remit calling for the introduction of myxomatosis. Mr Moore, who is chairman of the Marlborough Pest Destruction Board, replaces the outgoing chairman, Mr Jack Cameron. New vice-president of the South Island Association is Mr J. H. Caswell, from the Southland Board.