Returned Soldiers’ Afforestation Area at Roxburgh East

Mt Benger Mail, 9 November 1938, Page 3

Returned Soldiers’ Afforestation Area at Roxburgh East

(To the Editor). Sir, —Would you allow me space to bring before your readers the matter of damage, which is at the present time being done to the tree planting area on the tailings at Roxburgh East under the control of the Roxburgh Returned Soldiers’ Committee. About three years ago the committee acquired ian area of 140 acres on the tailings for an afforestation area and since that time have expended a large sum of money in clearing the rabbits of the area, erecting a rabbitproof fence over the whole area and also planting part of it in young trees. Up to the present time over 60,000 young pine trees have been planted out and all of these are doing well. The committee take a pride in the work they have carried out and so far have not placed any restrictions in the way of preventing visitors from going over the area. During the past few weeks however it has been visited by quite a number of children with cycles and these children have been in the habit of cycling over some of the parts planted out and not caring whether they rode over the trees which are at present very small, but at; the same time can be seen quite plainly. The children have also been noticed using a number of the sandy faces for sliding purposes and as these faces have been planted in trees quite a number of trees have been destroyed. In fairness to the local committe an appeal is made through your columns to parents, to see that their children refrain from riding their cycles through the area and also from l sliding on the sandy faces. Unfo'rtunately the children are not the only ones who have been causing damage. Quite a number of water holes or small ponds are to be found on the boundaries and to prevent the rabbits from coming through from adjacent properties it has been necessary to run wing fences into the ponds. Ever since the fishing season commenced some of those fishing in these ponds have shown no respect to the committee at all but have simply trampled these fences down flat. In some cases these fences have had to be erected time and time again. If anglers using the area are not prepared to take the necessary care with these fences, and if the children still continue to cause damage to the trees, then the committee will be forced to take necessary steps to protect it from damage being done. In a year or so when the trees have commenced to spring up what was at one time an eyesore in the district should become a beauty spot and popular area for visitors and it is to be hoped that this letter will be the means of eliminating .the present sources of damage being done. Otherwise the committee will no doubt be forced to take the step of having the area closed to visitors and trespassers or same dealth with. A. BURTON, President, Roxburgh R.S. Committee.