BIG WATER SCHEME

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 198, 19 May 1944, Page 3

BIG WATER SCHEME

Cr. Appleton Reviews Progress SURVEY NEARLY DONE The water sfipply which his opponent was splashing so prominently in his advertising and addresses was close to becoming an accomplished fact, said Mr. Will Appleton, Citizens' candidate for the Wellington mayoralty, at Hataitai last night. Thanks to the foresight of a previous Citizens’ mayor, Sir Charles Norwood, the watershed area necessary for the present scheme was vested in the city in 1927. The survey was nearly completed, and the ratepayers were being asked on May 27 to sanction a £125,000 loan to provide services to carry the water from this great new source. A non-Labour council 28 years ago provided a supply which sufficed for a nearly twofold increase in population, ami nearly five years ago the council got busy on a new scheme. That was for an extra 5,000,000 to G,000,000 gallons daily to serve Wellingten alone, from the AkataI'awas. On consideration and with that foresight Labour could not credit anyone but themselves with, the council decided tliis was not enough. The first reason was the probable growth of a greater Wellington from Johnsonville to Plimmerton. The second was the danger by earthquake to (he new pipe lines needed for the Akatarawa scheme if carried along the Hutt Road. It. decided to tap immense quantities of water in the upper reaches of the Hutt River, just in from Kaitoke, where a natural lake could be weired at small cost to form a reservoir. Readings over the past 1G to 18 years showed an availability, even at the driest periods, of 14,000,000 to 16,000,000 gallons a day. And, still with that foresight to which the opposition turned a convenient blind eye, the council planned tq take 10,000,000 gallons of this new supply for Wellington city, and allow 5,000,000 of this.for the proposed considerable extension of State house building in the’ Johnsonville-Pori-rua area. A two-mile tunnel would be needed, but Mr. Semple had assured the council of machinery being available. Tunnellers were also available, and once tlie Government said the word “go,” the scheme could start. The cost would be £1,000,000. The council proposed that at this stage the Government and it share the cost equally. Then as the Government hops-' ing developed in the new areas, and street, water and drainage services were connected, the council could take over the whole liability. The great advantage of the scheme was that'it would be gravity fed from the source to Karori. This obviated heavy pumping costs. Let Mr. Roberts beat that for foresight and planning, or did he j'nst want to step in and say “alone I did it.” Referring to the slum question, Cr. Appleton said, that with most of these, areas in the electorates of the Prime Minister and Mr. O. H. Chapman, it might be considered that the Government would have shown more speed than it had in introducing empowering legislation for clearance.

■He owned no slum property; let Mr. Roberts disprove that. But he had made a useful contribution to clearance. He bought a block of old shops, the buildings valued at £4OOO and housing three families. He had the block demolished and built on the sites modem flats accommodating nine families, plus five shops. For a company he bought a 70-year-old two-story house from the Public Trustee—it took a year to get possession — and erected there 18 flats to house 40 to 50 people. Both blocks were let at moderate rentals. “That is clearing old properties and providing new homes; not just talking about it for election purposes.” Electors would hare noticed the usual election bait of tinned .fish and fruit in. the shops.

Cr. Knox Gilmer, .presiding at one meeting, said the Citizen’s tieket members had been called a lot of names, but she subscribed to only one political doctrine —that of her father (the late Right Hon. R. J. Seddon). Cr. Appleton’s father had been secretary for her father's party in Otago Central.

Referring to the council’s attempt to raise tram fares, Cr. W. H. Stevens, at Hataitai, said that in the 1934-40 period the tramways department was unable to j pay into its renewal fund, and by March 31, 1940, was £173,000 short. How would the people have liked; this to come out of rates? If the service did not pay, there were three ways of breaking even. To reduce service, but that was not the council’s idea. To increase fares so that those who used paid. Or put the service on tlie rates so that everyone paid; the users twice and- the non-users only once. The council managed to turn the corner, and in March, 1942, had a small credit. . That was careful finance, not frenzied finance.