GOVERNMENT'S APATHY

Chronicle (Levin), 3 December 1946, Page 2

GOVERNMENT'S APATHY

-Press Association

By Telegraph—

AUCKLAND, Dec. 2. Repeated importations of teimiteinfesteil timber into Now Zealand and the Government 's apparent apathy to the Auckland City Council's pleas for definite action to be taken are causing a situation which if allowed to continue will make the present termite control nieasures useless. Bet'ore the start of this year the sprcad of exiating colonies around the city was causing concern, but the arrival of five shiploads of termite-infested timber in Jess than 12 months, has, in the words of the City Engineer (Mr. A. J. Dickson) brought about a situation where the problein is no longer a loca] one - but a national oue. Several protests against the almost unrestricted introduction of terniites from Australia have been sent to the Government from the City Council sinc-e last February but with no effeetive result at that stage. Mr. Dickson said during five or six years the Council had spent about £S000 in endeavours to control fhe pest, and although the position Avas fairly satisfactorily in hand further irnportation might easily undo all the progress that had been made. Four consignments containing infested sleepers, •poles and posts have been landed at Auckland since those remarks were made. The Minister of Works (Hon. R. ttemple) was approached in February after termite-infested railway sleepers had arrived and he said a cablegram had been sent to the Australian authorities instruction them that innnediate action sliould be taken to ensure that no infested sleepers were sent. - He said the Council's .request that no sleepers from future shipmentg be removed from the wharf until they were piissed by the Council 's inspectors

would present some real difficulties. In spite of the assimince received from Australia by Mr. Semple termiteinfested power poles were unloaded in Auckland the following month. Again a report was sent to the Minister, but whatever action might have been taken in Australia further affected poles arrived later in thc year. A few months ago the City Council approached the Minister of Finance (Hon. W. Nash) for his assistance in preventing the arrival of further consignmeAts of termites. He promised to investigate ihe matter 011 his next visit "to Auckland, but ko far the Council has received 110 advice tliat an investigation was made or that any further steps have been taken to check the introduction of the pest.