‘Black day’ for board

Press, 3 August 1985, Page 2

‘Black day’ for board

Reduced Government grants to catchment authorities have heralded a “black day” for the North Canterbury Catchment Board, according to the deputy chairman, Mr R. D. Gould. “The board has gone to considerable expense and time preparing submissions to the Government over the last 12 months,” he said at yesterday’s administration committee meeting. “It is obvious the Government is taking no heed of our sub-

missions. “The Treasury is making it clear that it has to make these cuts. I hope our submissions will not fall on deaf ears completely.” The Government aims to achieve a grant rate of 50 per cent throughout New Zealand. In response to this, the board favours the option of allocating a grant level based on 50 per cent of boards’ catchment programmes, allowing all boards to be treated equally. In its reply to the National Water and Soil

Conservation Authority, the board restated its commitment to achieving the wise use of water and soil resources. “The reduction in catchment works grants proposed will impede our progress in achieving this aim,” the board’s letter said. The reduced grant would force the board to cut its activities and delete certain new proposals from its programme, said the chief executive Mr E. R. Wood.