INSPECTION VISIT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22306, 16 April 1947, Page 6

INSPECTION VISIT

WAIRARAPA BOARD CONSERVATION STUDY EAST COAST DISTRICT In pursuance of a recent decision of the Wairarapa Catchment Board to send a party to inspect erosion damage and the methods evolved for meeting various tvpes of conservation problems in this district, a substantial party of Wairarana members yesterday began its district' itinerarv with a courtesy visit to the Poverty Bay board at its monthly meeting. The itinerary of the party was arranged by the Poverty Bay board, and includes visits to Waerenga-o-kuri this afternoon, to the Whatatutu-Tarndale area to-morrow, and to the Wainpu Valley on Thursday. The party comprises Messrs. Duncan McGregor, chairman. L. Robinson, F. H. Bennett, W, B. Martin, V. D. Zotov, F. C. Daniell, J. D. Clapperton and J. W. Colquhoun, members of the Wairarapa board, Mr. G. T. O'Hara Smith, clerk, Mr A. P. Campbell, engineer, and Mr. N. Sutherland, soil conservator. A cordial welcome to the visitors was offered by the chairman of the P.B. Catchment Board, Mr. J. R. Hair, who pointed out that what had been done in this district to date owed more to the initiative of certain settlers who had developed a conservation complex long before the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act had been passed. Board Followed Private Lead The board had followed up the work of these settlers and. on its own account, had made a humble start with the largescale problems which soil erosion presented in this district. The welcome was acknowledged by Mr. McGregor, who stated that the visitors did not expect to see anything spectacular in the way of control works. They realised that there had not yet been time for any catchment authority to make much progress. In fact, at the present stage the issue of catchment finance was not yet securely settled, and until finance was consolidated, the work of the boards must be subject to serious limitations. “We are here to see what your probl lems are. and how you propose to deal with them,” added Mr, McGregor. “I am sure that we shall learn something of great value from this visit to your district.”