UNFIT TO DRINK

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 14, 12 October 1945, Page 5

UNFIT TO DRINK

WAIRERE WATER SUPPLY

COUNCILORS STRONG

OBJECTION

There was every prospect of a •.genuine 'breeze' developing at the meeting of the Whakatane Borough Council last Monday when Gr J. in a -strongly worded criticism blamed the Borough Council as being party to the pollution of the water from the Wairere falls ? the traditional source of supply for hundreds of years to the inhabiting the Toroa Pah. The point was raised in a letter from the Health Officer for the district notifying that the water from this quarter had' been contaminated and was not suitable for consumption. He took formal steps to notify the Borough '• Council that users of the supply should be warned 1 of the position. The Mayor stated that recently "there bad been a meeting oif the natives from the pah with the Health Department officers which ihe had attended. The natives bad made representatioss to prevent the pollution of the water higher up. Jf the Borough Council started interfering it might be shouldered with • a considerable amount of trouble, and he personally did not know of ;any ratepayers who were linked up \\vith the supply. This is a very important question, 'said Cr Creeke. The Health Depart* ment condemns the use. of a source of water supply which has been used by the Maoris from the earliest times. For centuries now it has been their undisputed right and now through no fault of their own they are forbidden to use it because pakdetea develoj>ment and activities: have about its pollution. It js no :«se trying to conceal the fact that i;he Council is seriously involved. In a legal sense the Council is responsible for the protection of the natural water courses within the Borough. The Mayor: I don't think we. are Cr Creeke: I beg to differ. ( We liave allowed houses to be built on .Hillcrest; there has been the Ngati-' awa land scheme and now right in the middle of the catchment there is a cemetery. The Mayor: What about the position of the Whakatane River. The .same thing applies. Cr Creeke: None of your 'duck ■shoving.' The Mayor (with some heat): Cr Creeke resume your seat. 1 won't have remarks of that nature passed at this Council table. Cr Creeke. said that he would withdraw the remark but went on ■9 1*) say that the Council had permitted land speculators to cut up the Hillcrest land into building' sites, and many of them were draining direct into the water-shed of the Wairere Stream. He moved therefore that the whole matter be re. ferred to the Council's solicitor j for careful investigation as to the responsibility of the Council in the matter. The Mayor explained that already 5 the Council had an understanding with the Health Department that when the Wairere water Avas utilised lor Borough purposes it was heav-1 ily chlorinated. As far as the Maori j -•scheme went, he knew nothing of what arrangements they may have with the Health Officer. Cr Creeke contended that a farseeing Council would have planted the whole of the catchment area with suitable forestry plantaions and thus proected the supply from pollution. Cr Canning: It's a joke for Cr Creeke to say that we are responsible for the pollution. There have been complaints about it for years. Everyone knows that the stream flows through a swamp ? and to say that cattle have been recently ploughing through it since the native scheme was instituted is all piffle. From my own the ditch which has been dug since the scheme started has made for a purer supply than hitherto.

Cr Shapley maintained that the only alternative for the native users, now that Wairere was deemed unfit for human consumption was to link up with the existing Borough supply for which they would have to pay ? or ? if the pah authorities decided to carry on they would have to chlorinate the water at their

own expense. He admitted that there were several ratepayers in. the Borough who were still connected with the Wairere supply. The Mayor: If the Health Department say that the water should not be used then it's lor the officers of that department to see that it is not used. Those few ratepayers in the Borough who are still connected 'can take their warning from the I publicity oi' our discussion.

Cr Creeke declared in answer to Cr Canning, that it was natural for all creeks to pass through swamps. The Maoris in the pah would not join up with the Borough if they had to pay for their supply. They maintained that the supply was their's- by right of usage over the. centuries and that they should not be penalised because of the actions of others. He urged the Coun°fl to inquire into the pointing out that the Maoris viewed it with the greatest concern. Cr Canning: You wouldn't want to be a party, to any action against the Borough. Cr Creeke: Very well, if you're let it go. Cr Shapley: Long before the. cemetery was decided upon at Hillcrest there were adverse reports on the condition of the water. Cr Creekes motion lapsed for want of a seconder.