PLAINS DRAINAGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4745, 1 September 1924, Page 1

PLAINS DRAINAGE.

THE HAURAKI BOARD. MONTHLY MEETING. 'rhe regular meeting of the Hauraki Drainage Board was held at Turua on Friday last, there being present: ; Messrs G. Gray (chairman) J. Mules, R. Baker, R. H. Heappey, D. G. McMil- : lan, and J. E. Green (secretary). CARTER’S CORNER DRAIN. The Hauraki Plains County Council wrote stating that unless the board , complied with its request to repair the damage done the matter would have to be settled by a conference or tested by action. Mr J. Mules moved that the Hauraki Plains County, Council be written to stating that the Board is prepared to accept the conference suggested, by the* Council to go into thequestibn of the alleged damage to the road and drain at Carter’s Corner,, and would be-pleased: if the Council would name a- date and time. Seconded by Mr- G, Gray and carried. PBKAPEKA DRAIN. The Hauraki Plains County Council wrote stating that the Board’® notice of intention to carry out repairs and improvements to the Pekapeka roadside draing had bene received. The Council had resolved to request proper plans and specifications, which would be considered by a special committee constituted for the purpose. In the absence of the plans and specifications the Council would formally object,' under section 20 of the Lands Drainage Act, 1908, to the proposed work. The clerk read section 20 of the Act. which istated that before interfering' with any road the Drainage Board shall give one month’s.notice in writing to the local authority having control thereof: and if such local authority objects to the proposed work the matter shall he referred to the Minister for Public Works, whose decision shall be final. It was decided to submit plans. LOAN MONEY. The State .Advances Department wrote stating that the sum of £5OO, being the .Board’s No. 3 Drainage Loan, had been lodged at the bank. CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION. Clendon and Vollemaere, solicitors, Thames, wrote on behalf of their client, Mr H. H. Brown I( who complained that the Board (under some arrangement with the> Lands Drainage tbe Willow drain, running down one side of his ,property, taking an extra four feet of . land for that,purpose. The spoil from the-drain, was thrown-on the land in some places to a width of eight yards, in others to at least half a chain, and this over a. length of chains? The effect was to render useless, up to the present and for a considerable time to come, about three acres of grazing, and in addition to the permanent lass of a strip of land, four feet wide. The estimated loss was riot less - than £75. The ■ solicitors proposed to recover this sum from th.e Board, and would be pleased to hear from.it as soon as. possible. The clerk stated that the land was in the Board’s area, but the Lands Department wag the controlling authority. The work was done by the Government for a special rating area, and the loan had been raised by the County Council. Mr Heappey said that the solicitors probably realised that there was no hope whatever of getting anything from the Governinent, so had attacked the other partner. The chairman, Messrs Mules and Baker, and the clerk were empowered to deal with the matter. THE RATES. The clerk said that it was necessary to decide what, rates should be struck .for the coming year and. pas® a resolution of notice of intention to strike the rate. The rate for the coming year 'was governed by the expenditure during the past year. In the Northern Area the excess of .expenditure over receipts for the. pre- , vjo.us year -was £lO2 17s Id, so this deficit had to be brought forward to the current year. The estimated share of administrative charges was and work had cost £2lB 8s lid. The rate levied for the current year was £174 15® 9d, so a deficiency of £202 is 4d would have to be carried forward. The figures for the other areas were:

Turua Area—Deficit brought for* ward, £56 5s Id ; share of administration. £43 ; . work, £l5O Os 2d; rate levied, £lBB 9s 2d; deficit to carry forward, £6O 16s Id. Central Area.—Deficit, £69 9s 7d; administration expenses, £64; work, £lll 8s 6d; rate levied, £339 3s; credit to carry forward, £97 4s lid. Te Kauri Area. —Deficit, £67 9s 2d ; administration, £63; work, £193 14s 8d ; rate levied, £274' 4s 4d ; deficit to carry forward, £49 19s 6d.

Monganui Area.—Deficit, £4O 7s 9d ; administration, £46 ; work, £l7l 16s ; rate levied, £251 16s lOd ; deficit, £6. 6s lid.

This was the position at the present time, but certain, work would be paid for out of. loan money when it came to hand. In addition, there were sundry subsidies and grants for flood damages yet to come to band, and these would alter 'the position by the ,end of the year. ' After discussing, the subsidies and grants expected and the prospective work to be undertaken, it was decided that the rate in the.Turua and Central areas remain uiichanged at: A. 16-8 d; B, 14-8 d ; and .C, 12-Bd. Te Kauri area remain at: A, 14-8 d; B, 12-8 d; and C, 10-Bd, Monganitf to be

increased by %d to: A, ?2-8d; B, 10-8 d ; and C, 8-Bd, Northern area to be increased by %d to; A, 16-8 d; B, 14 -8d ; and C, 12-Bd. The formal-notice of intentioji to levy the above rates was given by the chairman. PLANTING OF HEDGES. The fact that several farmers had planted painpus grass near the banks of drains, and that this was liable in time to become a nuisance to the drain so that the Board might have to require the plants remov.ed, was brought up by Mr Baker, who moved that the several landowners be advised, in their own interests, to remove the hedges farther back before the plants commenced growing. ’ Seconded by Mr McMillan and carried. FOREMAN’S REPORT. The foreman of works, Mr J. McConnell, attended, and reported that during the mnoth he had attended to the flood-gates in .the Central area after the heavy rain. The Willow drain outlet was flushed, as top-bank on a blind creek at Daily’s was attended to, and timber, gravel, and cement boated to Brown’s outlet, where a new flood-gate had since been installed. Work had been carried out in McCowatt’s outlet, parts of the Jubilee drain and Torr’s drain had been fenced, and slips had been lemoved from the roadside drain between the Huirau Road and the Willow drain.