Catchment District For Northland Peninsula?

Northern Advocate, 20 May 1949, Page 4

Catchment District For Northland Peninsula?

A SOIL conservator of the Lands and Survey Department has been appointed to make a detailed survey of the Northland Peninsula, the result of which may result in the establishment of a Northland catchment district. When the conservator’s report is available an application is to be made to the Local Government Commission to adjudicate the matteV. „, , ,_.. _ ~ The chairman of the Rivers Control and Soil Conservation Council (Mr W. L. Newnham) gave this information to a meeting of local bodv representatives in Dargaville yesterday.

It was explained that the maximum rate to be levied over the whole district would be an administrative one of not more than id, and that works benefiting a specific area under catch-ment-board control would have to be borne by that area, with the assistance of subsidies from the control council. If a catchment board was set up, subsidies would be available for tree planting, gully control and drainage works.

The two schools of thought in regard to formation of catchment boards were;

(1) The whole country is being swept into the sea.

(2) Nothing is happening and nothing need be done. The truth lay somewhere between the two extremes, Mr Newnham said.

Of New Zealand’s 66,000,000 acres, 7,000,000 acres, or IT per cent, were of ploughable flat,, 6.500,000 acres or 10 per cent were of tire easier hill country, and 12,500,000 acres were steeper and poorer hill country. He said there was a further area of 6,000,000 acres, or eight per cent, of pumice, sand dune and ironstone land. More than half the area, 33,500,000 acres, was too steep or'broken, or for some other reason not suitable for cultiviation. The main object for which the council was established were: (a) promotion of soil conservation; (b) prevention and mitigation of soil erosion; (c) prevention of damage by floods (d) utilisation of land In a manner tending towards attainment of thosf three objects. The functions of the council were the carrying out of surveys abd investigations, research demonstration and experimental work, the coordination of the work of Government dr partments. local authorities and 1 others in connection with soil conservation and river control work, and the supervision and control of boards set up under the act, It was intended that relief should be given to persons whose land had been damaged by flood. It was within the power's of the* council to recommend the formation of a catchment board controlling r catchment district to the Local Gov eprment Commission, continued F Newham. A catchment district, if formed would comprise the whole of the watershed of a river or group of rivers. There were powers for a board to form its own by-laws on such matters as the control of burning which depreciated the soil and, removed vegetable coverage. No by-law would be made without the approval of the control council and there would be right of appeal for any property owner unduly affected.