AWAITI DRAINAGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4557, 30 April 1923, Page 2

AWAITI DRAINAGE.

' MEETING OF SETTLERS. A meeting of settlers holding interests in the Awaiti block was held al Netherton on Thursday to discuss matters relating to drainage. Owing to the flood many settlers were busy removing their stock, so could not be pre c < nt. Members of the Elstow Drainage Board also could not oe p esent, but Mr M. H. Wynyard attended at their request. Mr Taylor, of the Lands Drainage Department, was also present,. .Mr Wynyard read the following proposals of the Department, and with the aid of a plan briefly explained them. TE AWAITI DISTRICT DRAINAGE. The watershed of the Te Awaiti Stream comprises some 31,500 acres, and extends from Kerepeehi southwards for a distance of approximately 20 miles, with an average width of three miles. Within this watershed are . lands within the boundaries of both the Elstow Drainage District and the Hauraki Plains Rating District. The entire area requires unwatering, and as one system of waterways must deal with the whole area, it is necessary that some workable arrangement acceptable to both authorities should bc ; arrived at in order that development works might be taken in hand. The land throughout is good, and much of it is excellent quality, and when fully • developed will become highly productive. Detail surveys of the whole of the area are in hand, but these will not be completed for some time. However, from information available the following scheme and estimates have been drawn up, and though subject to alteration on completion of the surveys, these will be found to approximate very closely to the final decisions. ' PROPOSALS. From Kerepeehi to the northern boundary of Te Awaiti 1J283, section I, I have-calculated on a canal and stop-bank with a road on either side. Thence southwards to the north-west corner of Te Awaiti 1.12A3 on a canal and stop bank with a road on the west bank only. Details of the cross sections will be found on the attached print. The country up t,o the rorth-west corner of. Te Awaiti IH2A3 is lowlying, portions being as. much as three feet below flood Jevels at Kerepeehi. and - consequently will require, the maximum of drainage with floodgates on all subdivisional drainage outlets. In order that an equitable distribution of costs might be arrived-at I have divided the suggested works under two headings. ' 1. Main Drainage—The work under this heading comprises the construction of the main waterway only,. and as such would become a charge ov.e'-l the .fholc of the 31 500 acres in th? | watershed. Of this area 17.400 acres i arc privately owned lands within the E’strw Drainage district and 14.100 acres are either Crown lands cr Crown leaseholds. 2. Subdivisional Drainage and Roaciing.—The works under this heading comprise stop-banks, stop-bank drains, roads, floodgates, etc., and benefit the adjoining lands only. These works are confined to the area i te the north of the dividing lino A—B | on plan, and consequently should bo | a charge on that area only. This I area comprises some 16 600 acres, ot which 8000 acres are privately ow.i--i n t o.id 8600 are Crown lands. I ESTIMATES. j Main Drainage.—Canal. 10% imlcs I in length, 9ft deep, and averaging 40ft • wide, 7 392,000 cubic yards at is, | £36,960 ; land for canal, 2% chains I wide, 210 acres at, say, £ll, £2310 ; j main cutlet drain-canal to TirohiaI Otway Road, 16ft by 6ft by 12ft,. 33,880 cutie yards at Is 3d, £2117 10s ; laud for outlet drain, 75 links wide, 12% acres at. sa y, £s > £62 105 ; supe, ‘' vision and contingnecics, £4050 ; total, £45 500. Apportionments: Crown lands ' £20,367; freehold, £25,132. Subsidiary Drainage and Reading.— Stop-oank drains, 204,280 .c.yds. at lOd, £B5lO ; land required for roads, 85 acres at, say, £ll. £935; roads, ea'th formation, 16 miles' at £l2O, I £l'.'2i> ; floodgates and culverts, 8 single barrel (14.9 sq.ft, opening) at £250 £9OOO. 5 double barrel (29.8 sq.ft. opening) at £41)0, £2OOO, 5 bridges across side outlet drains at'£l2o, £600; s'miles cutlet drains,, at, .£2 10s per chain. £lOOO ; supervision and contingencies, £1735 ; total, £18,700. Ap-’ portionments : Crown lands, £9688 ; freehold, £9012. Total cost, all works, £64,20) (Crown lands £30,055, freehold lands £34,145). Thus the 17,400 acres of . privately owned lands would require to be loaded with the sum of £34,145 and the 14.100 acres of Crown lands with £30,055. The costs quoted have been kept as low as possible, and are designed to cover all charges that will be necessary to complete the works as specified in the proposals. Mr Wynyard then moved, as a guidance to the Elstow Drainage Board: 1. That this meeting of ratepayers in the Awaiti subdivision ot the Elstow Drainage District approve of the proposals laid down by the Government Land Drainage Department, and agree to the allocation of expenditure as therein stated upon the conditions : (1) That the total cost of the works to which they will have to contribute does not exceed within 5 per cent, of the sum estimated by the Department, namely, £45,509 for the main drainage works and £18,700 for the subsidiary drainage and roading, and also agree to a double road the whole length of canal if the cost to the Board of the same does not exceed £7OO ; (2) that any moneys over and above these estimates required to complete the work shall be found by the Crown without contribution from the Board ; (3) that the Land Drainage Department, undertakes the work, and as soon as the necessary preliminaries are settled and the contribu tions authorised, proceeds wdth expedition (particularly in completing the main drainage works so as to give drainage to the land rated at the earliest possible date), operating

continuously with their best machinery and plant with a view to expedition combined with economy ; (4) that an adequate subsidy satisfactory to the Board be .obtained from the Gov-' ernment towards the amount which the ratepayers of the Elstow Drainage District will, under the proposals, have to raise for their proportions of the cost of the scheme. 2. That t,he Elstow Drainage Board be requested: (1) To constitute the area which shall be agreed on a special rating area; (2) to have the lands therein classified under the Land Drainage Act in relation to the works proposed; (3) to apply to .ths Government for a subsidy towards the Board’s cost of the scheme, and as soon as these matters are arranged to take the necessary steps under the law to obtain the authority of the ratepayers towards raising the moneys .required by loan on the security .of a special rate in the special rating area. 3. Thar. Messrs, M. H. Wynyard and J. H. Carter be authorised to represent the ratepayers of the Awaiti subdivision to fix the boundary of the special rating area and arrange allocation of the costs of the scheme with other interests concerned. v Mr Munro seconded the motions, which were carried unanimously. In reply to a question by .Mr Munro as to whether settlers in the .Hauraki Drainage Board’s area- could come into the Elstow board’s area, Mr Taylor said that the Act prohibited any settler being in t,wo boards’ areas. Crown lands would be handed over to the control of a drainage board at any time the settlers desired. Mr Wynyard said that in 1919 the Elstow board’s area had been extended to include the Awaiti, but the Board had not done anything within that area, and the only rates collected were by the Lands Depaitment for maintenance. * In reply to' Mr; Considine Mr Taylor said that the Awaiti Crown settlers would not have to contribute. Under the Hauraki Plains Act Crown settlers only paid maintenance rates. If at any time settlers wished to form a drainage area they could do so. The question of bridges over the proposed canal was raised/ and Mr Taylor said that the Department restricted bridge building as much as possible owing to the. interference they caused to dredges. The Awaiti Stream was a navigable waterway, and the canal would also be navigable. In' time to come it might be used for - shipping road metal. The Department had power to purchase a severance if it was top small to be sold as a ; farm. In reply to a question by Mr Whisker Mr Taylor said that at the very outside the canal would take six years to complete. A steam pontoon dredge, at, present under construction at Kerepeehi, would be ideal for tne country, and : it could start as soon as author it." was received from the Elstow Drainage Board. However, if arrangements were not speeded the dredge might be diverted to-other work. Small drains could be made ahead of the dredge to take the water past it. Tn proposing a vote of thanks to Mr Taylor and Mr Wynyard Mr Munro said that since Mr Taylor had taken over control .of the Lands Department a great improvement had been effect? ed. and it was up to the seitiers and the Drainage Board to try to keep him in his present position as long n-. possible. Mr Harold seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously.