STATE IRRIGATION SCHEME.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1394, 21 March 1912, Page 2

STATE IRRIGATION SCHEME.

AT IDA VALLEY. .Although no nctual start has as yet been mad© upon the irrigation works which the Government proposes to carry out in Central Otago, some important preliminaries to tho Ida Valley scheme have now been dealt with, and it is within measurablo distance of commencement. Tho delay that has occurred is duo raaiulv to an application of the "betterment' principle m tho irrigation areas. Tho Public Works Amendment Act, of 1010, provides that before any Order-in-Council is issued authorising tho Minister to proceed with an irrigation scheme, more than one-half of tho owners of lands likely to be benefited by tho water supply must enter into contracts to take such-a quantity of water as the Governor thinks reasonable at a specified price. Tho Act further authorises the Government, when more than one-half of the laud-owners concerned have agreed to take supplies of water, and an irrigation scheme has been authorised, to take as a public work the whole or portion of any holding that will benefit by the irrigation, and in respect of which neither tho owner nor the occupier is willing to enter into a contract to take supplies of water. Tho intention is eventually to sell tho lands so taken, when tho irrigation works have been completed, and so partly recoup tho cost of tlto scheme.

'It. is estimated that the Ha Valley irrigation schorao Will benefit an area of about 15,000 acres, and more than one-half of the land-owners concerned havo now agreod to talto (supplies of water, paying for it at the rate of 10s. per acre. The Government land puichnso officers are,at present negotiating for tho purchaso of remaining lands, which will benefit under the scheme, and when thoy have completed their task, the irrigation works will be put in hand without further delay. It is stated that no great expense will bo cnliiilol in this case for the Government is; already in possession of somo abandoned mining works, including a storage dam, and tho "Bonanza" race, which can be readily adapted to purposes of irrigation. Other irrigation schemes are projected for the benefit of different districts in Central Otago, but it is not proposed that any, of them shall bo gone on with until tho Ida Valley scheme has been completed. In somo cases land-owners will be called upon to pay morn than 10s'. per acre for supplies of water, but great hopes are ontertaued that the benefit to the soil and its increased productivity will amply repay the outlay involved.