ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1271, 23 June 1886, Page 2

ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

The follow ng fs the c'mchi*i-<n »f our report of yesterday’s meeting of the shburton County Council:—

The Council resumed at 3 15 p.m , when Mr Donald McLean took his sea’.

It was resolved to dispose of the ordinary business of the Council before proceeding further with tbo question of Irrigation.

c orrespondencb . The following correspondence was read (1) From Mr W. C. Walker enclo ing copies of Bills affecting local Government introduced to the House of JRepresenta tivea —lt was resolved to request Mr Walker to give his support to the Bills (2) From the Public Works Office, Christchurch, with regard to painting Bakaia Gorge flood channel bridge.—The Council agreed to contribute share of cost. (3) From Mr J. W. Thomas, contractor, offering to sell certain plant and materia' to the Council.—lt was resolved to pur chase the material only. engineer's report. The Engineer’s report was read as follows :

Butterick and Leadley’s drain: Having carefully examined the courses of natural depressions, and outfalls of storm water in this district, and taken levels over the same, 1 And that all the drainage which is at present thrown on to that portion of Butterick’s and Leadley’s roads, extending from Dwyer’s to its junction with Wakanui Homestead road, would naturally have found its way across said road at an oblique angle into the Wakanui Creek, were it not for the obstructions formed by this road, and continuous lines of turf fencing along it, and also by the held fences in the district generally. What isnow wanted is additional caaigity in the existing artificial drains, in accoruance with proposed works numbered 2,3, ani 4in the petition of ratepayers to Wakanui Road Board. After inspecting the ground, lam of opin ; on that the relieving channel along Stanley road proposed by the petitioners should not be undertaken. It would not be serviceable to any considerable extent and, without considerable severance of land, its junction with the creek would be awkward and expensive. The relieving channel along upper I side of Christie’s road should be at least 8 feat wide, but there does not seem any necessity for extending it beyond the creek 1 near the foot of the terrace, inasmuch as the natural drainage would have fallen into this creek above this point. The channel along Wakanui Homestead road should be deepened a foot tor a distance of 20 chains, and excavations properly disposed of in fioodbank on field side. lam decidedly of opinion that the Wakanui Creek is the natural outlet for all the drainage now led .along Butterick’s and Leadley’s road as far down as Mr Fitzgerald’s property, and I should, by no means, recommend the closing of the drain along the H) nestead road. From that road to the ou:’et on Mr P. Stewart’s property at the beach the drain is overgrown with gorse and vegetation, which should, I think have been periodically cleared out by the adjoining occupiers along the route. and which would have been a means of greatly lessening the evil complained of. But, in order to give adequate capacity for storm water, as well as to provide outlet for field drainage, this channel should, beside the work of clearing, be deepened from 12 to 18 inches over its entire length, I estimate tbe.'cost of the necessary works as follows

Relieving channel Christie’s road, including ford at Butteriok’s road .. £ls Deepening drain Wakanui homestead road .. .. .. •• •• £l-5 Deepening channel from Madden’s to outlet at Stewart’s, including concrete work at outfall £IOO

£l3O Exclusive of minor connections near Ssaview.

It appears to me, however, that it is not for the Council to maintain or enlarge these artificial drains forming part of the road lines. They have never been proclaimed public drains, and if the work should be executed in whole, or in part, the work should be borne by the district immediately interested in the improvements, and the district be defined under section 20 of the Counties Acts Amend ment Act, 1885.

Mr Leadley said ha thought the Engineer’s estimate of coat was excessive. He (air Leadley} thought the aeoesaary work, exclusive )f concrete, would not exceeded £SO. He would move later on that the work suggested by the Engineer should be undertaken by the Council. But before doing that ho would like the Council to take over the portion of the Wakanul creek between Christies road and the sea.

Mr Wright suggested that the discussion of the question raised by Mr Leadley should be adjourned until the nex'- ordinary mooting of the Council. Taking over the Wakanui creek would result in the Council being required to maintain all ths public drains in the county. Mr Leadley agreed to postpone the discussion as suggested, and _it was resolved that a copy of the Engineer’s report should, in the meantime, be famished to each member of the Council INADEQUATE PKVIK. Mr Leadley proposed that a sum not exceeding £6 should be expended in In enlarging the drain between Mr Wright’s and Mr M Wilson’s property. Several members pointed out that It was not clea- whether the Council or the. Road Board should undertake the wor k

After *aome discussion the Engineer was directed t) report upon the matter to the next meeting of the Council, BIVEK ROAD, Mr Leadley ssid ha had been asked by a number of ratepayers to request the Council tc repair a breach on the River road near the Protective works. It was a main road, and ha presumed the Council was responsible for i's maintenance. The Chairman said there ware no main roads, wlthiq of the Act, in the county. SEPARATION. Mr Wright presented a petition from a number of ratepayers in the Mayfield diiiiict paying for separation from the Re. .gitata Road District and the coastL.uion of a new road district

n lr Harper objected to the preseat vtion of the petition aa it had not been ad vertiaed for one month aa required by the Act.—After diacusaion it was discovered that Mr Harper’s objected was valid, and Mr Wiight annonncion he would present the petition st the next meeting of the Council.

NOTICE Or MOTION.

Mr Wright gave notici that at the next meeting he would move “ That the Engineer be instructed to guage the water running in alt main drains and creeks between the rivers Ashburton and Hinds tp the eastward of the Main South Line, such gorging to be made at intervals not exceeding one month

IRRIGATION.

Mr Harper read the report of the Irrigation Committee as follows - Your Committee having met and fully discussed this matter, instructed Mr Baxter to prepare estimates for irrigating portions of the f mnty, giving a full statement of the character and cost of the works in each section, and the quantity of water per acre to be supplied- They also instructed him to prepare a map of the ceuniy showing the areas proposed to be brought within the irrigation limit for each section, together with a statement of all the incidental works, that would have to he undertaken by the individual owners in addition to the works provided for in his estimates. Cn the receipt of Mr Baxter’s report your Committee met, and carefully considered it together with his map. The Committee recommend the Council to adopt Mr Baxter’s report, more particularly since they have ascertained that in fcur gut of five proposed districts the cost will be comparatively small. Your Committee find it will be accessary to divide that portion of the county which it is proposed to irrigate into special districts in accordance with the Counties Act ; this can only be done by petition from the ratepayers within the different districts. Your Committee therefore | suggest the advisability of having petitions i immediately circulated for that purpose, j When the petitions have been signed by at ; least one-half of the ratepayers, and a special i

order passed by this Council constituting the districts, your Committee would recommend that a vote be taken in No. 1 and 2 districts as to the advisability of raising a loan to defray the cost of this work. They farther suggest that sketch maps be lithographed showing the boundaries of the different districts, together with the cost of the work and the rate per annum to be raised to meet interest aud sinking fund by each district, and that these maps be circulated within the county, together with the Engineer’s report, previous to any farther steps being taken. Mr Harper moved the adoption of the report.

Mr Wright seconded the motion for the adoption of the report. He called attention to the inadvertent omission of any reference to the cost of fencing, but this would be obvious to the ratepayers. The members of the Committee were now agreed upon the ten- ’ - of the report. It was resolved that 500 copies each of the Committee’s and Engineer’s reports and 800 lithographed maps of the district should be obtained for circulation within the county. charitable aid. The Council went into Committee to consider matters connected with charitable aid and on resuming adjourned.