Government’s plan to penalise landowners for having the highly irritating cow-itch vines on their properties has been abandoned following consultations with agricultural officials and farmers, Attorney General Dale Marshall has revealed.The disclosure came as he introduced proposed amendments to the Health Services Act that would impose penalties on the land tax bills of property owners who allow bush and grass to overtake their lands. In addition, if the government is forced to clear the land to preserve the health of citizens, that cost, too, will be added to the owner’s land tax bill.The government’s chief legal advisor said the plan was to outlaw cow-itch and penalise those who had the vines on their properties. He noted that farmlands were the main sources of cow-itch plants, whose pods cause severe itching and skin irritation.
