New Rabbit Boards Getting Under Way

Press, Volume C, Issue 29513, 13 May 1961, Page 7

New Rabbit Boards Getting Under Way

q-'HE three new rabbit boards formed last year in Canterbury have established their headquarters and each one has engaged an experienced foreman. Houses and vehicles have been bought for these men. The Lower Rakaia Rabbit Board, which administers the area between the Selwyn and Rakaia rivers, will have its headquarters at Dunsandel. The Plains board for the area between the Selwyn and Waimakariri rivers will be centred on Darfield and the Waimakariri board, which covers the land from the Waimakariri river to the Ashley, will have its base in Rangiora. Four tons of phosphorised pollard have been dropped by aircraft in the Rakaia riverbed as the first move by the Lower Rakaia Rabbit Board. The poisoning extended from the sea to the boundary of the board and the Upper Rakaia board near the gorge bridge. The Waimakariri Rabbit Board has made a start With poisoning the coastal area between the Woodend Beach road and the Ashley river. Rabbiting staff are being sought by the boards and until the men are recruited it will not be possible to decide policies of housing, operational areas and transport. In addition to the foreman already engaged by each board, the Lower Rakaia board will require about four men. the Plains board about five or six and the Waimakariri board about three. Rates have not yet been struck by any of the boards. Mr C. L. Sugden, secretary of the Lower Rakaia Rabbit Board, said that the boards were at present operating on overdraft accommodation arranged by the Government. Rating would not be retrospective to the formation of the boards last September jut the first rate would be

for the year ending March 31, 1962. At present, as far as his board was concerned, the roll of ratepayers had been compiled from Valuation Department information’ for areas of more than 10 acres and this was open for inspection at the Magistrate’s Court. It would lie there for a month to enable any objections to be received and after this it would be signed by a Magistrate. As well as the official ratepayers' roll it would also be the roll of electors for the next election of the board. It would be brought up to date for the local body elections every three years. Establishing the roll was the first step. Rates would be struck subsequently. If a board decided to strike a differential rate throughout its area then the land would have to be classified and tiie proposed rate declared for each type of classification, The classification would bfe open for objection but not the rate. Once any objections were overcome then the striking of the rate would be virtually a formality. Under the differential rating system a rabbit board had to re-classify its area each year, Mr Sugden said. If a flat rate was struck by the board then there was no right of objection, he said. It. is expected that at least one of the three new boards will adopt differential rating.