Resource information
This Act aims at promoting soil conservation, preventing and mitigating soil erosion, and preventing damage by floods.As provided for in the Act, the Board may recommend to the Minister what lands, whether Crown or private, should be reserved as soil conservation reserves. The Board shall control and manage the soil conservation reserves in order to best conserve the soil of the reserve and prevent injury to other land, and may grant licences to occupy the reserve for pastoral or mining purposes or for the purpose of cutting, felling, and removing timber or flax. If the soil conservation reserve is no longer required for the purposes for which it is set aside, the Governor-General may declare that the soil conservation reserve be Crown lands.The Governor-General may constitute and declare any part or parts of New Zealand a catchment district in which a Catchment Board shall be established as provided for in the Act. The Act sets out powers and duties of the Board which shall include the maintenance and improvement of watercourses and defences against water, and afforestation. The Act also includes provisions on offences, legal proceedings and provisions of miscellaneous nature.