63 



The CHAIRMAN said he did not think the amendment could be put in as indicated by Mr. Atkinson. 



Mr. ATKINSON said he would put it in, in place of the word "and" in line 45. Supposing this 

 Itabbit Bill were brought in, then owners who had erected wire-netting fences adjoining the Crown lands 

 would at once furnish the Minister with the particulars required. 



The CHAIRMAN said that he had better move for the recommittal. 



Mr. VANSTONE (Goodooga) said he knew of cases where fences had been erected, and the lessee 

 had brought his neighbours before the Laud Board, and the fences had been proved to be not rabbit- 

 proof. 



Mr. GARDEN'S (Cobar) motion that the clause be passed as amended was then put to the meeting 

 and carried. 



Clause 42. 



Private barrier-fences. 



42. Where fences within a Rabbit District have, before the commencement of this Act, 

 been rendered rabbit-proof by the expenditure of moneys voluntarily contributed or paid for the 

 purpose by any Stock and Pastures Boards, or by any persons, the Rabbit Board of the District 

 may apply any moneys raised by rabbit rates within the District in repaying to the said Stock 

 and Pastures Boards or persons the moneys so contributed or paid by them as aforesaid, or any 

 part thereof, if in the opinion of the Rabbit Board, the feuces are barrier-fences within the 

 meaning of this Act. 



Mr. LESLIE (Forbes) proposed that the clause be passed as printed. 

 Mr. T. BHOWN, M.L.A. (Budgerabong), seconded the motion. 

 The question was put to the meeting and carried. 



Clause 43. 



Grouping of holdings. 



43. When a ring fence enclosing two or more holdings or any portion or portions thereof 

 is a rabbit-proof fence, and the work of making the same rabbit-proof has been done by agree- 

 ment between the owners of such holdings, the lands so enclosed belonging to such owners shall, 

 with the consent of the Rabbit Board of the District, form a group of holdings within the mean- 

 ing and for the purposes of this Act. 



Any existing fence or portion thereof may be adopted so as to form part of the ring fence 

 of any group, but not without the consent of any owner of such fence or portion thereof whose 

 holding thereby becomes a holding forming part of the group. 



The Minister for Lands may agree that any public lands shall be included within a group, 

 and the Crown shall thereupon become liable in the same way as the owner of any holding of 

 private lands within the group. 



The Rabbit Board may agree tbat any rabbit-proof fence utilised or erected by it may be 

 used for the purpose of the grouping of holdings. 



Where any holding has been enclosed with a rabbit-proof fence, and any part of the 

 holding afterwards becomes the subject of any homestead selection, purchase, or lease from the 

 Crown, and is thereby withdrawn from the holding so enclosed as aforesaid, the new holding 

 created by such homestead selection, purchase, or lease, and the residue of the original holding 

 shall be deemed to form a group of holdings ; and any portion subsequently withdrawn from the 

 residue shall also be a holding within the group. 



Any group of holdings constituted under the Rabbit Act of 1890 shall be a group of 

 holdings within the meaning and for the purposes of this Act. 



When the external boundaries of any holding or group of holdings have been made 

 rabbit-proof, the owner or owners thereof shall not be liable to contribute towards the cost of 

 erecting or maintaining and repairing a rabbit-proof fence round any holding or land situate 

 within such external boundaries as aforesaid, or towards the cost of making rabbit-proof any 

 existing fence round such holding or land within such external boundaries ; and it shall be 

 immaterial whether the said external boundaries have been made rabbit-proof before or after 

 the passing of this Act. 



Mr. FLANAGAN (Gunbar) moved that " three or more" be inserted in line 12. 



Mr. SIDES seconded the motion. 



Mr. LITTLE (Bullock Creek N.) moved that it should be " one." 



Mr. BATLIS (Narrandera) moved that the clause as printed be passed. 



Mr. CUDMORE (Wentworth) seconded the motion. 



Mr. FLANAGAN'S (Gunbar) amendment was put and lost. 



Mr. FREEMAN moved an amendment on subsection 3. It should be that on agreement to make a 

 group of holdings the Minister may come in as a contributor. Supposing a number of holders cared to 

 form a group, and a large portion of that was Crown land, the Minister might relieve himself of liability 

 by not agreeing, and he thought it should be amended so that if an agreement be made to form a group 

 the Minister shall be a contributor. 



Mr. A. BROWN (Narrabri) seconded the motion. 



The question was put to the meeting and lost. 



The clause as printed was put and carried. 



Clause 



