PARLIAMENT NASSELLA TUSSOCK

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 July 1946, Page 9

PARLIAMENT NASSELLA TUSSOCK

CONTROL BILL INTRODUCED IN HOUSE WIDEPOWERSFOR BOARDS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 17. Amendments to the Nassella Tussock Bill to meet the recommendations of the conference of North Canterbury representatives and Government officers last week have been included in the measure, which was introduced in the House of Representatives to-day and read a first time. Tbe bill provides that the subsidy to nassella tussock boards or county councils dealing with the weed may be increased above £ for £ to such rate as the Minister of Finance determines, and that specified areas may be excluded from the districts of nassella tussock boards by Order-in-Council. The first part of the bill gives wide powers to county councils in the control of nassella tussock, and later parts provide that these powers are to be used, in the case of the North Canterbury and Marlborough districts by nassella tussock boards consisting chiefly of county representatives, with the addition of representatives of Government departments. Each board will be charged with the administration of the act in its district as if it were a county council, and constituent county councils will not separately deal,with nassella tussock. If any by-laws made by a board are inconsistent with the by-laws of any constituent council, the by-laws of that council shall be deemed to be subject to the by-laws of the board. The part of the bill dealing with county councils gives them power to promote and carry out measures for the detection, control, and eradication' of nassella tussock within thencounties. They may issue notices to owners requiring them to grub nassella tussock, to plough under nassella tussock, and to plant trees either to cover any land infested with nassella tussock, or to prevent the carriage of seeds by the wind, or to do other things which the councils consider necessary or _ expedient. Land owners have the right of appeal to a magistrate. If any owner fails to do anything required of him, the council may do the work and recover the cost from the owner. Councils may make advances to land owners for work required of them.

Two Boards Set Up. The bill gives county councils power to engage in forestry work, and to take land under the Public Works Act if necessary for the exercise of their powers for controlling nassella tussock. Authority is given for the making of by-laws to promote , the eradication of the weed, or to prevent its spread. Authority is also given to make contributions towards the cost of research work. - The bill sets up two boards., The North Canterbury Board’s district comprises the Amuri, Cheviot Waipara, and Kowai counties. The Marlborough Board’s district comprises the Marlborough, Awatere, and Kai-

koura counties. However, it is provided that any specified areas may be excluded from the districts of the board by Order-in-Council. Membership of the boards is to be as fol-]ows-__Two members appointed by each of the constituent county councils one officer of the Department of Agriculture appointed by the Minister one officer of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research appointed by the Minister on the recommendation of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council. In addition, each board may appoint not more than three co-opt members. County members will be appointed bv resolution after every general election of county councils, but the original members are to be appointed within two months after the passing of the bill. Meeting Expenditure. Expenditure of boards is to be covered partly by contributions from constituent councils, and partly by Government subsidy. County councils’ share of expenditure is to be apportioned among them by boards having regard to the area, capital value, extent of infestation with nassella tussock, and such other matters as may be considered relevant, in the event of a county Council objecting to the apportionment, an inquiry will be held by an officer of the Audit Department, who will make an award which will be final and bindino-. If any council fails to pay - its contribution the Minister of Finance may deduct from subsidies due to that council under any act an amount equal to the amount unpaid, plus intercsti At the direction of the board constituent councils may be required to raise loans necessary for any control When the bill was introduced, the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. S. G. Holland) said he was sure all Canterbury and Marlborough members would welcome the bill. There was no greater menace to the futuie of agriculture than nassella tussock. The Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Roberts) said experiments were going on in an attempt to find some effective means of controlling nassella tussock.

ADDRESSJN-REPLY DEBATE DRAWING TO CLOSE WELLINGTON, July 17. An indication that the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives was drawing to a close was given to-day, when, the Opposition withdrew from the debate in the afternoon, although in the evening they again put up speaker - for speaker There are several cases of minor illness among Opposition members, and this has left them with only a handful who have.not B. Gordon (Oppn., Rangitikei) said that farmers to-day had no incentive to produce more. Farmers on second and third class land were having a difficult time. The cost of materials had increased beyond reason. Some marginal land was going out of production owing to increased costs. This meant a loss to the nation. Farmers had been treated most unfairly in the matter of stabilisation and subsidies. Farmers were paying 1946 costs while receiving 1938 prices. _ Mr A. E. Armstrong (Govt., Napier) said, this country had actually never been more prosperous than it was to-day. Our' primary produce, both in volume and in value, was rising to new records, thanks to the hard work of the farmers and of the farm workers, who had shown their loyalty to the Government. The

Government was aware of the need for farmers to overtake arrears of maintenance, which had accumulated during the war, and as soon as possible, would furnish the necessary labour and other assistance to enable this essential work to be undertaken. . , ( _i