RABBIT CONTROL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 37, 8 January 1946, Page 3

RABBIT CONTROL

PONCAKAWA BOARD MEETING

RANG IT AIKI AND ADJACENT

AREAS

In his report to the Pongakawa Rabbit Board at its December meeting Inspector C. 11. Davis stated that properties in Edgecumbe, Tarawera Rarcwhakaitu, Pacngaroa, Ratoma and Awakaponga had been worked and fumigated. All told the working gangs had poisoned 9850 acres and fumigated 7900 acres using 74,Glbs Phosphorized Pollard and GO lbs Cyanogas. With the aid. of the long spell of weather we have been able to push on with poisoning operations lie said. Most localities rubhave. been taking the poison well and on some places the results have been well above the average. At the beginning of this week I inspected the Murupara and Rerewhakaitu areas, In the Rerewhakaitu district rabbits have been taking poison Avell and the exception of an area of about 500 acres of Native land near Roto,mahana this area is. very clean. From the Rerewhakaitu Road for about seven or eight miles east there is a fair number of rabbits on the edge of the State Forest lire break. There are a fair number of young rabbits showing up in the Murupara area. Since last meeting I have worked over the Rotochu country and with the exception of about 1(H) acres where there was a fair colony of rabbits left, this country is very clean with only odd signs to he found. This area was formally badly infested.

The secretary reported that a copy of the Amendment had just come to hand which increased substantially the rates of pay to employees and these increased rates were back dated to the Ist April, 1945. He stated that the back pay’ would probably amount to £IBO. Provisions of the Amendment to the Award were then outlined to the meeting.

The financial position of the Board was also sketched by the secretary who stated that the sum o.f £738 was actually owing to the Board bj T the Department of Agriculture for fumigation on Crown and Native land. The position of the new award made it imperative now to raise the above claim by £2B. Unexpended balances on native, land totalled Native land £ll3 Gs lOd, Crown land £ll3 3s 2d and State Forest land £99.

A copy of the petition for the extension of boundaries in the Rotorua district together with a nnip j was presented by the secretary stating that this copy had been handed to the Board by the Stock Inspector. This question will he considered later.