NOXIOUS WEEDS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 54, 1 September 1926, Page 9

NOXIOUS WEEDS

TIGHTENING UP THE LAW,

One of the principal provisions of the Noxious Weeds Amendment Bill, introduced and read a first time in the House of Representatives early yesterday morning., is that 'borough councils and town boardß may appoint inspectors for their own districts, provided that the inspeetora shall not have power to enforce in those districts the provisions of the main Act in respect to the sowing or selling of noxious weeds or undressed seeds of grain, and in respect to the cleansing of threshing machines. All moneys expended by a borough council or town board in enforcing the provisions of the Act within its district are I'o be paid out of its district fund, and all fines recovered by an inspector are to be paid into the same fund.

Inspectors appointed by the Minister are not to exercise any powers or authority over local inspectors, except by direction of the Minister. Another sub-clause protects appointments of town and borough inspectors already made under the principal Act.

The definition of "clearing" noxious weeds is more explicitly given, as "cutting down or grubbing or pulling up the stem or root of any noxious weed."

The provision in the amending Act of 1023 requiring occupiers of land to trim hedges and keep land cleared of noiaous weoda is slightly amended with the effect of requiring the work to be done at least once in every year. Weeds are to be cleared within the time specified by the inspector by notice in writing, or by public notification in the local Press. Persons who are convicted of an offence in regard to the clearing of weeds and who continue in default for more than a month after the date of conviction are to be deemed to have committed a further offence, and are to be liable to a fine of not less than £5 nor more than £50, and so on for every succeeding conviction after one month of continued default.