REPONSIBILITY IN DOUBT

Press, Volume C, Issue 29514, 16 May 1961, Page 9

REPONSIBILITY IN DOUBT

Legal Advice To Be Sought

The Halswell, Malvern. Paparua, Springs Noxious Weeds Control Committee will seek legal advice through the Counties' Association on the clearance of noxious weeds from the banks of the Halswell river The infested areas are on land between the river and adjacent roads. For several months councils concerned with the area through which the river flows have argued about responsibility for clearing the weeds. A meeting of the commit-

tee yesterday was told by the Lands and Survey Department that the roads vested in the councils also included the land up to the water's edge: the watercourse was vested in the North Canterbury Catchment Board. The clerk of the Paparua County Council (Mr A. Kelly) told the meeting that prooerty owners were normally responsible for the clearance of weeds from their boundaries to the middle of adjacent roads. “Can we get a man whose property ends at the river to cross the river and clear the opposite bank? I doubt whether we legally could,” Mr Kelly said. "Morally, I don't think it would be his responsibility.” said the chairman (Mr M. E Jenkins).