SOIL EROSION WORK BY COUNTIES ADVOCATED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22668, 19 June 1948, Page 6

SOIL EROSION WORK BY COUNTIES ADVOCATED

ROTORUA, June 18,

The altitude of county councils to their wholesale inclusion in catchment board areas was clearly demonstrated at the annual conference of the Counties' Association when delegates agreed to a resolution that immediate representations fce made to the Government seeking amending legislation providing for the powers at present invested in catchment boards being transferred to county councils where, after inquiry bv the Local Government Commission, it is considered that a council can administer the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act more economically. This resolution was additional to the agenda and was introduced by Mi. J, N Massey Pukekohe, who said that within the last f**-.v days his attention had been drawn to the fact that the Government intended to provide a complete catchment board coverage for New Zealand. Those who had had to meet the Local Government Commission must realise in what direction it was heading. Mr. R. E. G. Lee, Mastcrton. said that in the Wairarapa they had been in a catchment board area for four years. "The further we go the more we seem to come into conflict and the more we have divided control,” he added. The Catchmcn Board had obtained an Order-1 in-Council and then had sought to delegate its powers back to the County Council. The Minister said he saw an anomaly and undertook to introduce amending legislation to correct it.

‘ Some are not yet in and some have been included recently,” added Mr. Lee. ”1 warn you that it will be to your advantage if you seek the advice of those who have been in a catchment board district for years.” Major N. A. Rattray, Waimate, supported the resolution. There was much uneconomic and dual control of much of the drainage area and they had seen in many cases a duplication of works by engineers. The remit was carried.

COUNTIES’ PROPOSAL FOR TIMBER LEVY (P.A.) ROTORUA. June 13. Since the passing of the 1927 Finance Act which stated that the value of trees should not be retained on the valuation roll of a local authority vast areas of exotics had been planted, stated Mr. E. D. White, chairman of the Matamata County Council, in moving at the Counties’ Association conference that the Act be amended to provide for a timber levy of id per 100 ft. board measure on all timber, including exotic timber, when milled or manufactured into any marketable commodity. Rates had been paid on those trees, the owners of which made full use of the roads yet were not contributing to the same degree as users for other purposes. Today these owners were reaping a harvest. The speaker stressed the point that this was not in compensation for road damage. It was in lieu of payment of rates. The motion was carried.