CONTROL BY BOARD

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 February 1947, Page 8

CONTROL BY BOARD

ALL WATERCOURSES ON WEST COAST PETITION TO GOVERNOR Acting tinder advice from officers of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council, the Westland Catchment Board is to petition the Governor General, >n terms of Section 130 of the empowering Act, to vest control of ail watercourses within the Westland Catchment district in the Catchment Board. When this de,cision was this morning’s meeting of, the board several members expressed doubts as to whether such control would conflict with the provisions of the Mining Act, but the motion was carried without dissent.

In moving that.a petition be prepared for presentation to the Gover-nor-General, the chairman of the board (Mr. F.'F. Boustridge) said he was just a bit dubious as to how it would apply in reference to sludge channels, but as the chairman of the Soil Council , (Mr. Newnham) had pointed out it wouuld possibly be a matter for future adjustment. Mr. Newnham had recommended that the board should make such an application. ~ Mr. E. F. Evans said he would second the motion in view of the fact that it was a recommendation from Mr. Newnham. He would not make such a recommendation unless he had good grounds for it. ' General Order Unlikely Mr. W. Clayton said he thought Mr. Newnham made it clear that it was not likely that the board would be given control of all streams at once. However, there were many streams in which mining had finished for all time over which the board could profitably be given control. s “It would be cutting right through the centre of the Mining Act and the Lands Act,” said Mr. G. S. Lowes. “It could not interfere with existing rights.” . . ’ Mr. Clayton also expressed doubts as to whether there could be any interference with mining provrleges but said he thought it was the right thing io do, to make application as suggested.

Mr. Lowes said he thought it could cause a terrible headache in the law drafting office. It was a question of where the board was going to start. The first snag would be Arahurg., “What do you propose to do there?” he asked.

The chairman said it was not proposed to find a solution to all the difficulties right away. Mr. Evans said that there must be quite a lot of rivers which were not sludge channels and i-f they _ were specified it would be a step in the right direction. The motion was carried, Mr. Evans commenting that if the.board “put its neck out” it could always retreat bedhind the Soil Council. Present at the meeting , were Messrs Boustridge, Clayton, Evans, W. Fisher, J. Ryan, R. H. Bell, J. R. Shepherd, R. J. Bradley, P. Blanchfield, Lowes, D. Pettigrew, the engineer (Mr. W. S. Ross) and the clerk (Mr. H. Pyne). _ On the recommendation of the Soil Council, it was decided to set up a committee to draft a set of by-laws to control fire, ground cover, watercourses etc. Messrs Boustridge, Clayton, Bell, Lowes, R. B. Collett, Shepherd, Pyne and Ross were appointed as the sub-committee, to peruse the model by-laws and submit a report to the board. Aerial Surveys The action of the engineer in recommending that the following rivers should be included in the proposed aerial survey of the district was approved:—Hokitika (from the sea to the gorges); Wataroa and Waitangi (with the land in between), Poerua (to a point four miles above the highway and Waitaha (in the most settled area). Mr. F. Donovan, Ngahere, wrote drawing attention to the danger of a break through by- the Grey River at the Ngahere end of the combined rail and road bridge. The chairman said that the engineer. (had already arranged to meet the settlers and the recommendation of I the works committee that the matter ibe left to the engineer to investigate was adopted. Mr D. P. Hamer wrote stating that serious erosion was occurring on his property at Kopara, 30 acres of good grazing land having been washed; away by the Ahaura river in the past five years. He suggested that an inspection should be carried out and offered to find a reasonable contribution towards the work., The matter was referred to the engineer, to investigate and report. The engineei’ was empowered to proceed with the lowering of the weir in Greek’s creek (Arahura), the ; chairman remarking that sufficient of the. original grant for the work remained to carry out the job. Reporting on flooding being caused to Mr E. Richards’ property by the Crangipuki river at Inchbonnie, the engineer said that old tree stumps and logs in the bed tended to divert the stream and he suggested that an endeavour should be made to remove some of them. The settler had offeree: £2O towards the work and it was suggested that the Soil Council be asked to find another £2O. 'The recommendation of the works committee that application be made to the Soil Council for a grant of £2O and that the work be proceeded with on receipt of authority was adopted. The Resident Engineer. Public Works Department, advised.that the Soil Council had authorised £6.00 to cover future engineering surveys on behalf of the board. Mr Evans added that the cost would later be charged against the respective jobs. The chairman said it would be a very great advantage to the board to have the authorisation in advance, and on his suggestion ifcwas decided to forward a letter of thanks to the board.

Plantations Proposed On the request of the Resident Engineer, it was left to the board’s engineer to make recommendations for’ suitable sites for plantations. of willows and poplars, to provide live timber for fascining of protective works in this district. The Soil Council wrote outlining the 1947 campaign to be undertaken by the- mobile cine unit and advised that Westland was fourth on the Dominion' list for attendances at last year’s showings, - with an average of 76 persons at each screening ■ in the district, excluding schools. The chairman said he thought the figures were a very good indication of the interest shown and the work put in by members of the board. Excellent assistance had also been received from other organisations. It was decided that the sub-com-mittee which operated last year

should again make the arrangements for this year’s circuit of the unit. . Messrs Bates, Edgar and Wills, solicitors, Christchurch, wrote inquiring whether it was intended to carry out any protection work on properties in the estate of David Bates, at Koiterangi, and occupied by Messrs R. H. Mehrtens and W. N. Harris. It was decided to advise that the board could not. make a decision until the aerial surveys were carried out and to enquire whether, in the event of work being decided upon, the estate would be prepared to assist financially.