CATCHMENT BOARD

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 September 1945, Page 3

CATCHMENT BOARD

ADVANCES AND SUBSIDIES

The Chairman of the Westland Catchment Board, Mr W. Clayton, reported to a meeting of the Board at Greymouth last evening that he had received telegraphic advice from the Minister of Transport and Marine, Mr O’Brien, that the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council will advance to the Board up to £3,000, and will also subsidise the administrative rate collected in the Board’s district. Mr Clayton added that the subsidy on the rate was necessary because the maximum the Board could get in the administrative rate was £2,321, but the extent of the subsidy was not yet known. The rate in itself would not permit the Board to engage an engineer and do much in the way of work. There were present at the meeting the Chairman (Mr Clayton) and Messrs C. Biggs, N. Clay, F .F. Boustridge, P. Blanchfield, D. M. Pettigrew, R .J. Bradley, R- Clarke, G. Rovzley, J. Ryan and the clerk, Mr H. C. Pyne. Advice was received from . the Council that there was no distinction between the voting powers of elected and non-elected members, except in the manner of their appointment. The Council forwarded three film strips and copies of three lectures on soil erosion.—lt was decided that i enquiries be made regarding the use of a projector for exhibiting the films.

The Council advised regarding expenditure by the Board on publicity and educational work, that the principal function of the Board was to minimise and prevent damage by flood and erosion and that the Board was invested with all such powers as might be necessary or expedient to carry out its function, but this would not extend to expenditure on the planting of trees for beautifying effect, such as was sometimes associated with the marking of Arbor Day. Mr O’Brien, Minister of Transport and Marine, advised that Mr W. L. Newnham, chairman of the Council, would not be able to visit the district before the Board meeting, but that he would endeavour to visit Westland at an early date. ■ The Greymouth Borough Council wrote granting the use of the Council Chamber for the monthly meetings of the Board at the rate of .10/- per meeting. The Grey County Council wrote agreeing to the proposal that its engineer supply reports, ' with estimates, on erosion prevention and arrest, and also a statement of what the County was prepared to provide for each work.

The Chairman said he had noticed a little criticism at the last meeting of the Grey County Council regarding the Board. The Board had asked the Grey and Westland Councils to make reports available so that there would be no hold-up in the work of the Board. The Board hoped to be able to supply its own staff vzhen the financial arrangements were completed and the proposed arrangement with the County Council was only temporary. MACHINERY EXPENDITURE Mr Rowley said the Westland County Council was concerned as to when the Board would be ready to commence operations. He thought there would have to be an expenditure of £25,000 on machinery alone, and that did not have the money for that. The Chairman said there would probably have to be a subsidy of £5 or even £6 to £l.

Mr Boustridge said the first job for the Board was to get an engineer. Then would come the purchase of machinery. He thought it probable that the Board would have to utilise machinery from the Public AVorks Department and the Counties for a start. Mr Rowley said the Westland County was against carrying out the job—it would have to be done by the Public Works Department. The Chairman said Mr Newnham had Said there was no desire to put the work on to the County Councils, and that the Catchment Board would function.

Mr Pettigrew expressed the opinion that if the Board started its work on erosion problems within 18 months it would be doing well. The Chairman, in reply to Mr Rowley, said he thought that any contributions made by local authorities now would be credited as being from the ratepayers. Mr Clarke said the Counties did not wish to be saddled with work which at present was the responsibility of the Public Works Department.

Advice was received from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research that a soil map on a small scale of the Westland area would be supplied. .Accounts amounting to £219 15/-, including £B9/3/11 for the Greymouth Borough Council expenses, £5O for the chairman’s honorarium (in part), and £37/10/- for the previous clerk’s honorarium, were passed for payment. Following receipt of a letter regarding Taramakau erosion it was decided to ask the District Public Works Engineer for a report on the matter.

Mr Blanchfield referrred .to the creation of an island in the middle of the Grey River and the breaking of the river into two streams, one of which was cutting into Coal Creek and the other into the railway line. He suggested that Mr Ncwnham, on his visit, should be asked to have the matter of dredging the island considered, with a view to eliminating the erosion and also creating a greater flow in the river, with a probably beneficial effect on the Greymouth bar. The motion that the matter be referred to Mr Newnham was seconded by Mr Clayton and carried.

On the motion of Messrs Boustridge and Rowley it was decided to submit to the Council the opinion of the Board that a river mode] to assist ' in solving the problems of erosion be made at the earliest possible moment. Mr Boustridge said that very favourable comment had been made on the Greymouth harbour model and a river model would assist the engineers and probably save very considerable sums of money. It was also decided that efforts be made to have the harbour model inspected by members of the Board on the evening of the next meeting.

SOIL EROSION Mr Biggs gave an interesting address on soil erosion and conservation and on the general work of the Forestry Department in fire prevention and control. Westland, he said, had escaped induced erosion by human activity in that the high slopes had not been denuded of forests for cropping or pastures, though this might have been more good luck than good management. He dealt at length with the part played by forests in the prevention of erosion and their mitigating influence on floods. He said there were parts of the district where deer were having a very harmful effect on soil retention by the forests and the forest floor, and that deer, pigs and goats were the most harmful animals in their effect on the forests and the forest floor. Stoats, weasels, and rats were definitely harmful, as they destroyed the native birds, and as had been well said by Dr. Falla—“No birds—no forest.” It was his opinion

that the Westland catchment district had not been troubled with erosion problems due to the destruction of forests, and he did not think there would be erosion problems of that nature in the future. There should not be any complacency, but he did not think there was any cause for alarm because of accelerated erosion. Mr Biggs outlined the Forestry regulations in regard to the prevention and control of forest fires and also stated the responsibilities of all citizens to ’assist in the extinguishing of fires in State forests and to report such fires. He detailed the preventive measures adopted by the Department and the equipment available. In reply to Mr Boustridge, Mr Biggs said the aim of the Department was not to grant sawmilling licences on the higher country. Mr Biggs was accorded a vote of thanks, carried by acclamation, on the motion of the Chairman.