CATCHMENT BOARD

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31001, 5 March 1966, Page 25

CATCHMENT BOARD

Extensions To Area Proposed

The North Canterbury Catchment Board will discuss extensions to Sits district with a committee of the Soil Conservation Council in Christchurch next Wednesday. The council has suggested that the board extend its area of activity into the Cheviot, Amuri and Waiipara counties. The board agreed yesterday to appoint a sulb-committee to meet the Soil Conservation Council after discussing the ramifications of the take-over. The board chairman (Mr R. M. D. Johnson) said that in the past the board had agreed to extend its area if asked, but had at no time thought of doing that voluntarily. The chairman of the finance and executive committee (Dr. W. R. Holmes) said that although it was desirable for the whole of New Zealand to come under the jurisdiction of catchment boards there seemed little point in extending the boundaries of the North Canterbury board unless it had the machinery to do the additional work. He said the proposal was to take over an area which was very large, contained very few ratepayers and had two rivers with big problems. “This might be adding to the frustrations of this board by taking over these areas When we don’t have the money,” he said.

Mr H. E. Connor asked why the board had been invited to take over in the Amuri. Cheviot and Waipara counties when others like Lyttelton went begging. Mr McCaskill pointed to a severe shortage of staff, and money, but suggested that it would be impossible to assess the needs the new areas until they were taken over. “I believe the problems in the areas are more serious than most people realise. I appreciate that while we cannot offer solutions tomorrow we have a national responsibility to see what we can do,” he said.

Other speakers said that if the Soil Conservation Council was so anxious for the board to take over the additional area it should also see that the money was made available for works. The board should be able to see some financial policy which would show how the money would be provided.