£1000 DRAINAGE SCHEME FOR MAKERUA

Chronicle (Levin), 13 April 1946, Page 3

£1000 DRAINAGE SCHEME FOR MAKERUA

w A proposition to spend approximately £100U in improvemeuts to general drain age has been approved by the Makerua Drainage Board. Considerable discussion was given to the seheme at the monthly meeting of the board. ' ' Finances are in good order, thanks to the river Ifeaving us alone," said the chairman (Mr. J. D. Aitchison). "We have had this in mind* for many years and we are now in a position to do it.'-' The £1000 would be devoted to improvements in the Main Drain, the eut, and Seifert 's Drain, said Mr. Aitchison, and the work would be done with the help of machinery hired froui the Manawatu County Council. . Trustee S. H. Claridge said that he did not agree with the~idea of giviilg away £3000 to somebody to do the job. He suggested that the better method was for the board to acquire its own machinery to do the job,- as sucli plant would be of lasting value to the bo£.rd. He was of the opinion that plant should be obtained immediately and ■ steps would be taken now to arrange finance for it. Trustee N. B. Gibbons said it was essential that something be do'ne now in the matter of these drains. The present proposals would achieve great jiuprovement. Costs of autoriiotive plant were rising very rapidly, and he would not be surprised. if the board were shoeked at any quotation that would be received for the machinery they wanted. "It is mucli wiser to eonsider the first proposal which will give much relief, " said Trustee Gibbons, "»p,nd even if the board was one hundred per tent/ ! in agreement with the suggestipn to get our own machinery, it would probablv be a long time before we could do anything. The wisest plan is to get the county macliine and do the j'ob now, afterwards eonsider the question of buving our own plant." Trustee Aitchison pointed out that the matter was not only one of machinery if the board had its own plant, but also one of having a competent operator. He thought that tliere vyas no better way of getting . the job doue quickly than by lxiring. the county maehine as soon as possible. Trustee Claridge • said that tlie board 's engineer (Mr. Dolau) hao stated that there was a waiting Hst for use of the county plant, and if it was '■■a, matter of waiting a long time the idea was not worth while. Trustee Aitchison said that the position had been fully investigated and he still thought this would be the quickest jvay, and stressed the fact that the whole board was jus^ as keen as Trustee Claridge to see that the job was done effieiently and as quickly as possiblA "We know we have tliis job to'.clo,' ani£ we are'^ure this is;the quickektiway dojng it," said ihe chairman. " Wja-'can do it Out of revenue, but we*.;6annot place a time limit. That' is entirely dependent bn when the county can make its maehine available to us." Trustee Vile: This seheme has been in our minds for many years and we are in a position to do it. Let us go ahead and do the job, and do it quickly, while we have the money to do it. 'The motion "That the work as outlined by the committee be proceeded with as quickly as possible," was tlieh put to the meeting and carried, matteijs beipg left in the hands of the board h engineer and the clerk. An applieation to the Sojl Conservation and Rivers Control Council for a river bank protection subsidy has been met by an offer of £2 for £1 on a total expenditure of £2000. The board 's applieation was for subsidy on a total cost of £2816. The board has now written to the council stating that it considers this oft'er inadequate, and that it feels the time has come to look on this class of work from a ratioual standpoint. The board pointed' out that, since the eompletion of its protection seheme nearly 25 years ago, it had been compelled to undertake the protection of 28 miles of the Manawatu River bank in order to avert frequent inundation of its area. This has been done promptly and under increasing difficulties, notwithstanding the assistance of past subsidies. A large sum had to be set aside each year to meet the eventualities that have always arisen along the river, aud it was therefore impossible for; the board to budget for any but the most minor of the drainage works which comprised its true function. With the exception of £1200 raised by loan in 1938 for the improvom'ent of soveral drains, it had not been possible to do any work of such a nature since. The board said that after 25 years, the area was naturallv in great need of a general overhaul. The intense class of cultivation made it even more iinperative, and the ratepayers — perliaps the highest rated in the country — were upderstandably unwilling to burden themselves further. It was pointed out that the .rates were now up to their legal limit. No reply to this letter has yet been received.