THE DRAINAGE BILL.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 925, 12 June 1877, Page 3

THE DRAINAGE BILL.

A deputation waited upon the Hon. 0. C. Bowen, Minister of Justice, hy appointment at 3 p.m. on Monday. The deputation was introduced by the Hon. J. T. Peacock. Amongst those present were —Mr Rolleston, Mr Ollivier, Mr H. J. Hall, Mr J. L. Wilson, Mr Wynn Williams, Mr Geo. Booth, Mr Nunweck, and twenty-three other ratepayers from the Hcatheotc, Papanui, and Riccarton districts. Mr Peacock, having introduced the deputation, requested Mr Wynn Williams jo explain ( lie matters which the ratepayers of the outlying parts of the district wished to bring to the notice of the Government.

Mi* Wynn Williams having addressed Mi' iluwen on the special questions to he brought to his notice, then read the following document, which was handed to Mr Bowen ; To the Hon. C. C. Bowen, Minister of Justice.

The deputation of ratepayers of the outlying parts of the Christchurch drainage district beg to draw your attention to the following defects in the Drainage Bill; — Assuming that the Drainage Board has power to construct an underground sewage system, capable of carrying off the sewage of a town, then the Act enables the Board to inflict a great injustice upon the inhabitants of the rural and agricultural parts of the district, because the same amount of rate is levied upon the whole district, notwithstanding that the expenditure is incurred principally in the construction of a system of drainage not required by a rural population at all. There should therefore be power given to the Board by the Act, to divide the district into subdistricts, and to levy different rates according to the requirements of the different districts. A most important matter which appears to have been entirely overlooked is that by the present Act there is no provision whatever made as to the Board being required to prepare fully developed schemes for the different sections of drainage to be carried out; and we think that there should be very special clauses in the Drainage Act compelling the Board of any drainage district to prepare a full and complete scheme, together with full details of the approximate estimate of the cost of any work before the Board could call for tenders.

The deputation beg to press most strongly upon the Government the necessity of amending the Drainage Bill in the directions above indicated.

The deputation, whilst especially directing your attention to the foregoing requirements, may also, they trust, draw your attention to the empowering clauses of the Drainage Act, viz., section 34 and sub-sections, and section 38.

By these sections the Board arc empowered to carry out drainage works for a special purpose—that is, the drainage of water; and this is strictly in accordance with the intentions of the promoters of the Drainage Act. But, as a matter of fact, the proposed system of drainage, as a reference to Mr Oarruthers’s report will show, includes a system of drainage that was not contemplated by the Legislature, as is evident from the facts—First, that there arc no powers of any kind in the Act by which the Board can compel the occupants of houses to connect with the drains, without which power it is obvious it would be useless to construct a sewage system capable of carrying away “ the whole sewage of a town.” (See the plan published by the Drainage Board, with extract from Mr Carruthers’s report.) Secondly, if the Act was intended to give the Board power to construct a system of sewage adapted to the purposes of a thickly populated town, and capable of carrying away “ the whole of the sewage” of that town, it is inconceivable that the Legislature would have passed an Act giving the Board power to levy rates upon a large agricultural population for the construction of a drainage system which is far beyond their requirements. As an instance of such injustice, it may he stated that the Board have now levied a rate of 5d in the £ upon the whole district; when, so far as regards the agricultural part of the district, a rate of 2d woidd answer all the requirements for the present year; and in fact wo believe tint a large proportion of the 5d rate is required to pay the interest and sinking fund on the cost of the outfall drain purchased by the Board from the Christchurch City Council. With great respect, therefore, we earnestly call the serious attention of the Government to the necessity for amending the Drainage Act as to the matters to which wc have drawn your attention.

Mr Ollivier wished to draw the attention of the Government to the necessity for some alterations in the Act, which would put an end to all questions upon the subject of draining into rivers, and that was that the Drainage Board should bo specially restrained by the Act from draining into the estuary or into any of the rivers.

Mr Bowen replied at some length, and said that the matter should receive attention. Ho added that lie was certain that some of those interested —either the City Council or the Drainage Board—would have to take some steps next session with regard to the Bill. Mr Peacock and Mr Rollestoa both then stated that they thought the answer somewhat vague, and requested Mr Bowen to give a specific answer to the views of the deputation.

Mr Bowen then said that for himself he could say he was convinced that there were very many questions connected with the Drainage Act which have now cropped up, but which were never thought of at the lime, as it was quite obvious, for instance, that separate kinds ol: drainage were clearly required for the town and for tire country districts. Ho therefore clearly said that the power of levying rates upon persons who had no interest in a deep sewage system of drainage was not right, and that it should bo altered.

With regard to the question whether the Government would take the mutter up, Mr Bowen said he should certainly lay the statement handed in before the Government, and he would take care that some steps were taken with regard to the questions brought before him.

A vote of thanks was moved to Mr Bowen for Ills kindness in receiving the deputation, which then withdrew.