DISSOLVING RIVER BOARDS

Chronicle (Levin), 13 September 1946, Page 4

DISSOLVING RIVER BOARDS

POWER GIYEN TO CATCHMENT BOARDS • . WELLINGTON, S.epL.42. The dissolutran||h0 specfal rfv6r"' or Arainage authorities ,an| tlieir substitution by Catchment Boards, is provided for in the >Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Amendment Bill which was introduced and read a lirst time in the House tonight. Explaining the Bill, the Minister of Finance, who acted in tlie absence of the Minister of Works, said there was provision for the reconstruction of the (Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council by the addition of the Direeti^rGeneral of Agriculture, the Director of Forestry and live persons nominated by local authorities, one of wliom was to represent agrieultural and pastoral interests. There was some laugliter when Mr. N*ash said that the original Act gave the Council and Catchment Boards the right to prevent fires but not to put them out. This omission was now rectilied. Power was to be given to the Control Council to delegate to a Catchment Board any of its funetions relating to the management and control of a soil conservation reserve. There was also power for the Council to make temporarv loans to a Catchment Board for initial administrative costs and to purchase plant and equipment. The Bill dealt with the procedure to be followed in the dissolution of special drainage or river authorities wliose powers would be taken" over by Catchment Boards and this procedure would apply in such cases as the Waimakariri River Trust, the Ashley River Trust, the Lower Clutlia River Trust, and the Manawatu-Oroua River Board, and to any other bodies wliose funetions were taken over by a Catchment Board. There was also provision for a Catchment Board to act as a river board. In reply to Mr. G. H. Mackley (Masterton) Mr. Nash said there was provision in the existing law under which river boards could classify land. Olassification would continue for a period of six years.