DRAINAGE WORKS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4541, 19 March 1923, Page 2

DRAINAGE WORKS.

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. TOUR BY HON. J. G. COATES. Leaving the Public Works Office, Paeroa,, on Thursday morning last, the Hon. J. G. Coates, accompanied by Mr A. R. Markham, secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department, - Wellington ; Mr J. T. Godfrey, Assistant Undersecretary, Public Works Department ; MY R. Aitken, private secretary to the Minister; Mr L. May, ' District Engineer ; Mr L. E. Cassrels, and a •' Gazette ” reporter, made a tour of the various departmental drainage operations in the district. ) The first stop was made at the Puke, where the workshops were inspected. Here the Ministerial party wore met by Messrs W. Dykes and HTait. The Minister congratulated the officials on the clean and tidy appearance of the stores. He remarked that there appeared to be a wide range of spare parts and accessories for the various dredging machines. He also inspected the Puke bridge and the Ngahina wharf. From there the party proceeded along Wilson’s Road, Netherton,. until drain H was reached. Leaving the cars on the roadside, a tramp was undertaken across country alongside the drain until the dipper dredge was reached. The work of this dredge was watched with interest for some time, and details of its capabilities were briefly explained by Mr May, This dipper dredge is capable of excavating about a chain distance per day. Each time the bucket, or grabler, dips it lifts one and a half) yards of spoil. The idea of this huge drain is to drain a large area of country, many parts of which are covered with water over three feet deep. What little drainage there was from this land previously ran into the river. Now the land on either side of the drain is quite dry, and is consolidating very quickly. It is the intention of the department in the near future to erect bridges over drain H to give the settlers access to the portion of their farms on the other side. Meantime, in several instances the drain .has gone right through .the centre of their sectipns, consequently they only, have the use of half the area of their holdings until such time as bridges are erected. i KOMATA CREEK. After leaving drain H a run was made to Komata Creek. Leaving the cars, the party followed up the bank until the dredge was reached. This dredge is one of the Bucyrus tractor type, better .known as the dragline dredge. It has the latest steam turbines, and generates its own electric- / ity. The bucket or dragline is capable of lifting a square yard of mud and depositing 50 yards on either side of the dredge each time it dips. It is the intention of the department to deepen and widen this creek so as to give the water a better fall, thus enabling it get away quicker. The spoil from the bed and banks is being deposited-on the left side of the bank in huge heaps. These dumps will afterwards be levelled down to a height of about eight feet, so as to form a stop-bank. An interesting feature in the ‘dredging of this creek isthe amount of mine tailings met with —in many places to a depth of six ■- feet and over. The benefits of dredging this creek are going to be very considejable in the future. The water will be confined to the creek bed, and in the event of the water at any time overflowing when in flood the stop-bank will protect the low-lying country. Mr May stated that | great trouble and expense had been met with on this work owing to continual breaks occurring in the wire ropes conveying the dredge bucket. The Minister said it was the intention of his department to provide heavier and more powerful machines for this class of work. From the Komata Creek the party ! returned to Paeroa for luncheon at the Criterion Hotel, after which they were off once again. LEFT STOP BANK. The first stop was made near Te Moananui’s flat, where the Ohinemuri River left stopbank was briefly inspected, and the' operations explained by Mr/ May. KAOUITI CREEK. From there the party journeyed to ‘ the Kaouiti culvert and flcodgate on the Te Aroha road. At this point the creek had been considerably deepened for some distance, and one of the >- latest type of three-barrel ferroconcrete floodgate is in course of construction. On top of this the bridge , will be relaid in ferro concrete. The debris from the creek will .be used to form a stopbank, along the top of which a good metalled road will be put down. The Hon. Coates expressed his approval of the work done, remarking that it was a particularly good job and one of the neatest he had ever inspected. MANGAITI-TIROHIA SECTION. Once again the cars were requisitioned, and a run made to the Mangaiti bridge over the Waihou rive;". At this point a large launch was waiting, which the party boarded, and were swiftly taken down the river. From a scenic point of view it was most enjoyable, and the wonderful works in various stags of compleftjon provided a never-ending source of interest and amazement. The loghauling machine was very interesting. It is situated about two miles below the Mangaiti bridge and its functions are to clear the river and its banks of all willow, flax, and stumps. This is done by means ofhuge wire ropes, which are connected to the trees as near as possible to the roots. The rope is then wound up by the machine on a huge drum until the rope is pulled tight. A steady strain is then put on, and with a loud snapping of roots and ripping and tearing generally, the tree is dragged bodily out. The work of this machine is both rapid and effective, and is doing wonderful clearing works along the banks.