HORAHIA DRAINAGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4832, 20 May 1925, Page 3

HORAHIA DRAINAGE.

MEETING OF BOARD. The regular meeting of the Horahia Drainage Board was held on Friday last, Mr W. MeDuff presiding over Messrs F. A. Kneebone, R. L. Davies, W. E. Hale, J. C. Miller, J. M. Thompson and W. E. G. Willy (clerk). LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Mr J. McKerchar was granted leave of absence for three months. ACCOUNTS. Accounts totalling £26 10s 9d were passed for payment, and progress payments on contracts were approved. INSPECTOR’S REPORT. The Inspector, Mr E. Flavell, ieported that all the drains in the area we.’-e now completed except the Ngatea stop-bank and a drain at Orongo. Tli'.se would both be completed within the next few days. The dual drains had been inspected and the work found satisfactory. The flood-gate at Turua on the Piako Road drain was badly cracked, and a new gate was required. Prices outlet had been completed and passed.—Received. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer, Mr J. N. Anderson, reported as follows : — "I have gone into the question of a general scheme of drainage improvements on the lines submitted to me by the clerk. I have been over part of the ground and have made myself familiar with the board’s requirements. "There are in all 13 drains included in the scheme, and of these 11 are to be improved and extended and two are to be entirely new drains. There were 14 drains included in the board’s schedule, but one, the T’e Kauri No, 2, has been completed. “1 have discussed the matter with Mr Taylor, of the Lands Drainage Department, and the only levels he has available are those of the drain along the north side of the sections facing Piako Road and those of about threequarters of a mile of the drain at the Thames Valley outlet. These levels Mr Taylor has kindly placed at my disposal. I am aiso getting the levels of all the Lands Department’s bench marks, and will work to the department’s datum so that all work can be co-ordinated with any other section at any time. "In preparing a detailed report ail the drains will have to be chained and levelled except the two which the Lands Department has already plotted, and I propose starting on this part of the work immediately.

‘‘l shall be glad to receive instructions regarding the cgllin'g of tenders for the new flood-gate on Shelly Beach Road and the improvements to the drain between the sections of Messrs Louch and Robinson. It s likely to be some time before monetary authority for the expenditure is received, but it will be advantageous to call tenders or arrange for day labour immediately, as it will probably be possible to obtain permission to start the work before the monetary authority is available. In this connection I would suggest that Shelly Beach Road drain be let in two contracts—one for the .approach culvert and flood-gate, and the other for the outfall channel. The reason ton this suggestion is that the Lands Department is installing a pump for sluicing, and if successful in operation Mr Taylor had offered to make it available foi the Shelly Beach work.” GOVERNMENT GRANTS. The Chief Drainage Engineer, at Auckland wrote in reply to the board’s letter advising that until definite proposals—specifications and estimates—for the expenditure of grant moneys were lodged, and until some idea of the date on which payment could be expected was known, it was impossible to answer the board’s questions. The board had been promised certain subsidies, and it should assume that these amounts were immediately available and lodge plans for approval. The department would then go into the question of finance, and when this had been satisfactorily arranged and the plans approved the board would be authorised to proceed with the expenditure. He had no doubt that all the money promised would be made available as soon as possible. These remarks also applied to the subsidy for the Piako River stop-banks, where £7OO was available on-a £2 for, £l basis.

The chairman said that plans for one of the jobs had already been prepared. He was of the opinion that the engineer should ne instructed to call tenders.

The clerk pointed out that there Wais a great risk in letting a contract before the money was in hand. Mr MeDuff said that the plans had been sent on to the department for approval. the allocation of the £2OOO grant, the chairman said that this should be settled. When the request had been made for the grant representatives for the Kerepeehi area had not a'sked for very much, but since then that area had demanded a big share of the grant and had approached the Minister, who had stated that his officers would see that it was allocated equally. It was obvious that the works stated in support of the request would have ot be amended, continued the chairman.

The statement of requests as presented to the Minister was then read and explained.

Mr Thompson moved that portion of the grant be allocated to the proposed new drain from sections 9 to 1, block 2, Waihou Survey District. Members pointed out that the £ for £ subsidy promised by the Minister on his recent visit could not be lifted by the expenditure of portion of the grant.

Mr Thompson said that the subsidy would have to go, as the board had no funds available and the area could not wait until a loan proposal was carried.

It was moved that the £2OOO grant be allocated to the three ridings according to the, unimproved valuation, and this was agreed to. After further discussion on the apportionment and the question of in-

stalling a flood-gate near the Ngatea bridge or utilising that sum for the construction of an outlet between Mr Robinson’s and Mr Louch’s, it was moved by Mr Miller, and seconded by Mr Davies, that the money allocated for a drain on. the northern side of Mr Louch’s be utilised for an outlet an the southern side of Mr Louch’s, the same conditions to apply to this drain as were imposed on the northside drain but with a limit of £230. —Carried. Mr Thompson moved that the engineer be instructed to prepare levels for a drain from sections 9 to 1, Block 2, Waihou Survey District, to ascertain the cost of the proposed drain. Seconded by Mr Davies and carried. FINANCE. The financial position, as stated by th j treasurer, showed that at April 1 the credit balance was £4o'2 2s 3d, and the rates collected since then amounted to £289 6s sd, making a total of £691 8s Bd. The payments since April 1 totalled £825 3s 7d, leaving a bank overdraft of £133 14s 9d. The commitments were £173 4s 6d for drain cleaning, £ll4 19s 9d for the Hauraki Board, and £26 10's 8d for sundry accounts, giving a total of £314 14s lid, which, with the - overdraft, brought the total to £448 9s Bd. The rates levied totalled £1873 life 6d, and £B4O 5s 5d had been collected, leaving £1033 14s Id outstanding. Much of this would never be collected, but provided it was, the board would have £584 4s 5d to Spend. RATING. In accordance with his notice of motion Mr W. E. Hale moved that rates for the year ending March 31, 1925, as advertised, be struck. Seconded by Mr MeDuff and carried. The clerk was instructed to send a letter of explanation to ratepayers. RACECOURSE DRAIN. The Lands Drainage Engineer wrote advising that the department would pay half the cost of cleaning the racecourse drain. The chairman stated that the overseer had recommended not cleaning the drain, as it was unfenced and badly trampled. It was agreed that it would be a waste of money ,to clean an unfenced drain, and while the settlers in the board’s area could be compelled to fence the board bad no power over those landowners on the other side of the drain, as that was the Elsto’w Board’s area. The decision of the board was that the drain be not cleaned. and that the fencing be looked into by the area members. CLOSING OF CULVERTS. On Mr Thompson’s motion it was dec’ded that the culvert between his section and the Kerepeehi corner under the Kerepeehi-Wharepoa road be closed. SHELLY BEACH OUTLET. At Mr Miller’s request the board authorised the grading of the Shelly Beach factory outlet. DRAIN DEEPENING. The chairman and Mr Kneebone were authorised to look into the question of deponing the drain from Mr Kneebone's to the Horahia Road corner.