"NOT A DUCK POND"

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 133, 22 June 1937, Page 3

"NOT A DUCK POND"

n Our Own Correspondent).

WAIPUKURAU RESIDENT COMPLAINS OF STORM WATER

(Froi

vv^i_Lx-UJVunn.u, xnis JL»ay. Stating that he "purchased his land for his own use — not for a duck-pond, ' ' "a property-owner threatened to take p^oceedings against the Waipukurau Borough Council in a letter read at iast night's meeting. He complained of storm water being piped into his property and he demanded that the council either remove the water or-take away the drain al,together. The Borough Council is to inform him that his pioperty is a natural water-way and that the drain is essential to allow storm-water higher up to drain away more readily than it did before the drain was installed. "I wish to object to the council's action of conveying storm water into tny property, ' ' wrote the complainant. "When the first pipe was put in without my permission J objeeted, and was told that the water would be piped through my land, instead of which a three-foot drain was dug and left open. Now a further increase of water from another locality has been piped into my property, also. witlfout my permission. ' ' Kindly pipe all this water through my property or remove the drain altogether, failing which, further proceedings will be taken, as I purchased this land for my own use — not for a duckpond. ' ' "This is a matter that has come before this council before," said the Mayor, Mr. I." W. N. Mackie. "He doesn't seem to appreciate that his property is a natural water-course, and we can't convince him that he hasn't got any rights." The Town Clerk and Engineer, Mr. H. B. Smart, said' that with an open drain at the locality- the amount of water running through would be no greater than it was at present. The complainant is to be told by the council that in order to drain the water higher np there is no alternative but to let it run through his property, which is a natural waterway. It is also to be pointed out that the drain in question was installed not for the purpose of taking water from surrounding territory, but to allow it to drain away more readily.