URGENT PROBLEM

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21579, 5 December 1944, Page 4

URGENT PROBLEM

CONDITION OF LAND N.S. WALES GRAZIERS STATE PLANNING ACTION H a.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 5. More dust storms, with renewed heat wave conditions, are expected in Now South Wales within the next few da vs.

The Sydney Daily Telegraph investigator says the present drought marks the worst of five successively bad seasons which have cost the graziers in the western and central portions of the State more than £10.000,000. This cost is assessed in land depreciation, sheep losses, the potential value of lost ewes, sheep income and farm equipment. Hundreds of thousands of sheep have died and i.,ore are still dving. Pastoralists say lbe re-stocking of properties when the drought breaks will be one of Australia’s most urgent problems. The rains last week were insufficient to alleviate the conditions. The major factors responsible for Iho bad condition of the country and the bad financial position of the graziers are listed as lack ol good rains, over-stocking, failure to conserve emergency fodder, neglect of natural herbiage. over-capitalisation of property, soil and water erosion, and man-power difficulties. “The deterioration of good grazing country has boon going on for nearly 50 years in this Stale,” said the New South Wales Minister for Conservation. Mr. W. F. Dunn. “We cannot allow this situation to develoo further. and at the moment the Government is implementing its plans to return these areas to their former prosperity. Legislation to do this will be introduced eariy in the next year. We will probably have to control the stocking of lands, close up some areas, at. least temporarily, to allow them to recover, and compel pastoral ists to co-operate with us.”