Rabbit. 



A barrier fence shall be taken to mean a rabbit-proof fence which 

 protects, or will protect from the incursions of rabbits the Rabbit 

 District, or any part thereof, whether erected without or within the 

 boundaries of the Rabbit District; and the decision of the Stock 

 Board that a barrier fence protects, or will so protect, the Rabbit 

 District or any part thereof shall be conclusive of the fact, as against 

 the owner or occupier of any holding or lands within the Rabbit 

 District. 



17. If any barrier fence shall be erected by any Rabbit Board Payment for 

 on the boundary of any Rabbit District, the Board of the adjoining ^ 

 District shall be liable to pay to such Board as aforesaid half the cost 



of erection and maintenance of such fence, or such fence may be 

 erected and maintained at their joint expense in accordance with such 

 agreement as they may enter into. 



18. A Rabbit Board shall not be liable to pay or make com- Case where compen- 

 pensation for anything lawfully done in exercise of the foregoing sation iven - 

 powers except where a barrier fence is erected upon any private hold- 

 ing or land so as to cause damage by severance. 



The amount of compensation due to any person shall, upon 

 application by him as prescribed, be determined by a Court of Petty 

 Sessions ; and in fixing such compensation the said Court may take 

 into consideration and set off any benefit accruing to such person's 

 property by the construction of such fence, and shall have power to 

 award costs to or against any party appearing before it. 



19. It shall be the duty of the Rabbit Board to keep in good Barrier fences to be 

 repair and efficiently maintain maintained. 



(a) every barrier-fence erected by it and every fence converted 

 by it into a barrier-fence ; and 



(b) every barrier-fence erected or to be erected at the expense of 



the Crown within the boundaries of the Rabbit District : 

 Provided always that 



(c) where any such fence as last aforesaid is along the common 



boundary of two Rabbit Districts the Minister, if the Boards of 

 such Districts fail to agree in regard to the maintenance of 

 such fence, shall determine which of the two Rabbit Boards 

 shall be charged with the aforesaid duty, and the Rabbit 

 Board charged therewith shall be entitled to receive from* 

 the other of such Boards half the annual cost incurred in 

 discharging such duty ; 



(rf) it shall be the duty of the Railway Commissioners to keep in 

 good repair and efficiently maintain any barrier-fence erected 

 or to be erected at the expense of the Crown along the 

 boundaries of any lands vested in them, but the costs incurred 

 in the repair and maintenance of any such fence shall be a 

 charge upon the Consolidated Revenue Fund. 



20. It shall be lawful for the Minister, out of any moneys voted Suppling netting 

 for that purpose by Parliament, to purchase and supply to Rabbit ancl matemls - 

 Boards, or to owners of private lands, wire-netting and other materials 



required in the construction of rabbit-proof fences, and also any 

 machinery, plant, or substances for the destruction of rabbits ; and 

 may enter into contracts for the sale or letting out thereof to such 

 Boards or owners : Provided that the repayment of principal and 

 interest thereon shall be on a basis similar to that prescribed by law for 

 payment of principal and interest on conditionally-purchased lands 

 that the security for such repayment be a first mortgage on the 

 holding to be wire-netted or supplied with other appliances 

 for the destruction of rabbits ; 



that the said netting be erected within twelve months after 

 delivery thereof ; 



that 



