SOIL EROSION ON COAST

Grey River Argus, 27 September 1944, Page 3

SOIL EROSION ON COAST

LOCAL BODIES CONFER Cost of Control Measures CATCHMENT DISTRICT APPROVED An early decision regarding the setting up ot a Catchment Board to concern itself with the questions of soil conservation and rivers control in the West Coast area is likely as a result of a conference held at Greymouth last evening between representatives of most of the local bodies concerned. The meeting was called by the Mayor of Grey/mouth (Mr F. A. Kitchingham) who presided, at the invitation of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council, and the Chairman of the Council (Nir W. L. New,nham, Engin-.eer-in-Chief to the Public Works Department), and the Engineer to the Council (Mr A. P. Grant), also the Member for the district, Hon. J. O’Brien, were among those present. Representatives attended from the Inangahua, Grey, and Westland County Councils, and the Brunner, Greymouth, Hokitika, and oss Borough Councils. The District Engineer, Public Works Department (Mr E. F. Evans), and the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Hokitika (Mr Basil King) were also present. The Mayor said he was glad to see such a good response to his invitation. He supposed all realised the magnitude of the problem, which, he suggested, on the West Coast was entirely different from that in other parts of New Zealand, in degree at any rate. Supposing that the Westland district covered the area from the Reefton Saddle to Jackson Bay, it would have one-fifteenth of the total area 1 of New Zealand, but a population only one-sixtieth, and a capital value only one-one hundred & fortieth of the whole of the Dominion. The Act provided for the striking of a maximum basic administrative rate of one-eighth of a penny in the £■ T* le problem appeared to concern mainly the counties, but the boroughs were the administrative and shopping centres of the district. He made a plea for a constructive approach to the problem. Mr Newnham thanked the Mayor for calling the meeting. He. referred to the setting up of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council in 1941, and said that the Council had formulated a' general policy and decided on a programme of work that could be carrie'd on under war conditions. Members had visited all parts of the country, and had a good grasp of the problem. All that the present Council and Boards could do was lay a foundation for future work. The Council had arranged for the acquisition of soil conservation! reserves on which it was proposed to carry out research work of all kinds, and it had had special catchment areas declared. Six major catchment districts— Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu, Wairarap'a, Nelson, North Canterbury, and South Canterbury—had been arranged for, and Boards controlling them were now operating. Referring to the general a’dministratiye rate, Mr Newnham said it was realised that on the West Coast this would not bring in a very substantial revenue, and it was proposed to go into the question of seeing whether something could be done to assist any West Coast Catchment Board that was set up. The question of assistance from the State with anyt, special works which the Board proposed to carry: out would also be considered. It was the responsibility of the Council to make recommendations to the Governor-General-in-Council regarding the setting up of Boards, but .if was realised that it was vital to get! the co-opera-tion of everyone concerned, and m every case where a Board had been set up local oninion had been consulted. The Council felt it was desirable to set up a Board for the West Coast area' and considered that the people concerned should have a considerable say in the control of the area. Catchment Boards were given powers that no other local body possessed, and these were essential to enable the particular problems involved to be dealt with in any given area. Mr O’Brien said that under the conditions first suggested he had been opposed to the setting up of a Catchment Board on the West Coast. When the legislation had first been discussed by a committee of the House, of which he was Chairman, he had had in mind West Coast conditions and the difiiculty of striking a rate that would bring in enough to do major works, so he had endeavoured to have provision made for local bodies to handle the problem with the consent of the Council. He had been in favour of technicians rather than outside representatives having the major say, and most of the Council members were technicians. He could not see the possibility of a Board working here unless it had more money than the district could provide. South from Greymouth were 22 rivers eroding. Leaving Grey,mouth out, the maximum administrative rate of oneeighth of a penny would bring m at the most £lOOO, and that would not eet very far. The district had to have an engineer, facilities for him to travel, and an office. It would cost at least £2600 to have any sort of engineering set-up. It had seemed better in the circumstances for the local bodies here, who had engineers, to deal with the matter. _ However, Mi Newnham had promised to discuss with other members of the Council the question of a subsidy to bring the finances up to what was required, if that was going to take place he was not going to object to the setting un of a Catchment Board. The problem was simpler elsewhere m New Zealand, where there was rateable country and the West Coast would rrobably have to have more assistthan any other part of New Zealand Mr O’Brien referred to the S cost of maintaining protection works on swift South Westland rivers, 'n a g U Gr°e'CTMth" l which would bring in lor admimstra- + nnrr/oses & little over £2OOO, making necessary a subsidy of £6OO or f7On if an engineering organisation was to be set up. In addition to such a subsidy other financia help would be necessary if any worthwhile work was to be done. The Mayor presented figures relatin°- to the district. The .vea of Inangahua County which it was proposed to include in the district wa's of 240 square miles and had a population of about 1000 and a rateable capital value of £150,000. To Mr S. Havill (Hokitika'Borough) Mr Newnham said that if it was decided to set up a Board the Boroughs would automatically have to come in. Mr F. W. Archer (Inangahua County) said the proposed representation—lnangahua one member, Grey County two, Westland three, Greymouth, Runanga and Brunner, jointly two, Hokitika, Kumara, and Ross, jointly one, and- Government nominees, five —did not' seem to give fair representation, for instance, to Grey County, as the matter was not of such importance to the boroughs as to the counties

Mr Newnham said the representation was based on th e provisions of

-the Act regarding rateable values and populations of the areas' concerned. Mr F. F. Boustridge (Greymouth Borough) said that the Greymouth Borough would have morb than onethird of the capital value of the total area', and this meant that the people of the Borough would be taxed in a way which would not compare with small benefit it would derive as compared with the counties. Mr J. Mulcare (Grey County!) said that the administrative rate was only a small part of the total expenditure. In any special area where work had to be done a rate would be struck and most of the revenue would be collected from the farmers concerned. It would be possible for the Government and borough representatives to out-vote the county representatives in deciding on any work. Mr Newnham said he could not imagine a Catchment Board functioning here without great assistance, nor the people in any given area providing most of the money. . Mr Mulcare said that the farmers would provide most of the money to be provided locally, at any rate. The most they could hope for was six representatives. He thought they should have the greatest representation. Referring to the Grey County, he said that it had been refused flood damage assistance on the grounds that it was too wealthy. The meeting should he told not that the Board was going to receive something or that the Government was going to assist, but should have a definite promise that the Government was going to provide most of the money. Mr W. Clayton' (Inangahua) also referred to the additional rating that would be involved in the counties. If the rates were going to be high, he said, they would put the farmer off the land. He would like to see something definite in the Act regarding assistance —say 5t010r6 to 1. It seemed that the man who wanted his farm protected would have to pay for it. Mr Newnham said that the Council had power to declare what subsidy should be paid in an v particular case. It was th e intention of the Council when it had the money to give the people of the West Coast, through any Board that was set up, very substantial assistance —-it might be 100 per cent, in some cases. Mr Minehan (Ross Borough) described the matter as a national one, and said that local bodies should not be rated, but that the money should come out of the consolidated fund. One section of the community was to be rated to pay for a national job, while the rest got off scot free. If there was not enough in the consolidated fund there should be an extra tax. If money could be found to fight a war he thought it could be found to conserve the soil.

Mr P. Blanchfield (Greymouth) said that the Greymouth Borough had not been backward in helping farming areas subject to flooding. The capital rate was very hard on the householder, and in this instance it seemed that £BOO cr £9OO would have to be paid by the people for an indirect benefit. In the circumstances they could not sit back and let the counties control the arrangements.

Mr Mark Wallace (Westland County) said that an area could be subject to a rate of six farthings,. and a special rate of three farthings, making a total of nine farthings. But if special funds were required in a farming district land could be classified and one class of land could be rated to any extent. He thought the borough representatives did not appreciate this position. If that was to be interpreted literally it would discourage the settlement of the river flats of South Westland, which were subject to erosion, while river protection would encourage settlement on them. He hoped Mr Newnham had been guarded and conservative in his promises that Government help would be forthcoming. He asked would any decisions of the Board be referred back to Departmental representatives on the Board. Mr Newnham said that the Government appointments were personal ones on the grounds of technical qualification, and recommendations made by the Board would not be referred back to them, though it was possible an officer might be asked to discuss a recommendation with the Board. Other members of the Council with whom he had discussed the matter agreed that a' Board could not function on the West Coast without State assistance. Classified land would generally be rated on a classified scale, but it would be possible to have a flat rate with the consent of the Minister on the recommendation of the Council. In answer to Mr G. Rowley (Westland) Mr Newnham said that the rate could be collected by, either the local body or the Board itself. Mr Wallace referred to the efficacy of bulldozers in controlling the course of rivers. If the Board had a' fleet of these matchines would the maintenance and cost of operating them be provided by a flat rate over the whole of the county areas? he asked. Mr Newnham said that this could be done, and he thought it wa's a sound suggestion. Two or three bulldozers could do more good on the West Coast than anything else, and the Council had power to advance money for their purchase. Mr O’Brien referred to the big sums being paid out for river control. It was clear, he said, that no Government would rate a man so as to put him off the land. But if a man’s land had to be protected he had to be asked to help to pay for it, though it was clear that most of the money had to come from the consolidated fund. The classified system had been taken from Drainage Boards. He did not think that the Government could start on the problem . with anything under £5 million, and it was going to cost a good deal more than that. / To Mr R. Clark (Grey County) Mr Newnham said he thought this was about the only district where there was a question of assistance with the administrative rate. To Mr Archer, Mr Newnham said that under war conditions the Council had a vote of only £50,000. The Mayor said he thought the conference should suggest the boundaries of the catchment area and recommend the matter of setting up a Board to the favourable consideration of the nine local bodies concerned. Asked by Mr Clayton what would happen to’the portion of Inangahua left out of the proposed district, Mr Newnham said that this would be included later in another area which was not regarded as so urgent at present. , Mr Wallace suggested that a resolution b e passed approving of the principle of soil conservation rivers control. There was talk of millions for a deep-sea harbour, but unless adequate provision was made for the protection of the district s actual and potential resources they had better forget about it. He refeired to the great productivity of the land, and said it was definitely worth protecting. He thought the suggested area would have the endorsement of the Westland County Council Mr Rowley said he and Mi Wallace had full power as delegates and would be in favour of the area Mr Mulcare said he thougni uie Grev County Council would also apwould prefer to discuss ag l?« W af SanTJad been given

be given preferential financial treatment, Mr Wallace moved: That if and when a catchment district is set up on the West Coast, it shall comprise the counties of Westland and Grey, and that part of the Inangahua County that lies in the Grey River basin, together with enclosed boroughs, it being understood that the district is to get preferential financial treatment. This was seconded by Mr Mulcare and carried. Mr O’Brien said h e would do his best in the matter of preferential treatment. Unless the Government came to light liberally there was go-. ( ing to be no protection of land in this district, and lie thought it would come to light. In answer to another question, Mr Newnham said that , the cost of an election would ultimately be borne’ by the Board. Mr Archer then moved: That the delegates present report back to their respective local bodies and thereafter convey their views to tlie convenor of this meeting as early as possible. This was seconded by Mr Clayton and carried. I Mr Wallace suggested that the name of the area be Westland rather , than West Coast Catchment District. To Mr Wallace, Mr Newnham said . that the question of a campaign for the extermination of deer had been | discussed with the Internal Affairs

Department, which it was thought would provide Ihe funds. The Mayor thanked the delegates and Mr O’Brien, Mr Newnham, and Mr Grant for their attendance; and a vote of thanks to the Majtor for calling" the conference and presiding was carried on the motion of Mr Newnham.