NETHERTON DRAINAGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4952, 17 March 1926, Page 2

NETHERTON DRAINAGE.

RATEPAYERS TAKE ACTION. DEPUTATION TO MR. SAMUEL. In accordance with a promise made, Mr A. M. Samuel, M.P., received a deputation of ratepayers at Netherton yes.terday morning. Mr H. J. Hale, riding member on the Hauraki Plains County Council, introduced the deputation.

In welcoming the member for Ohineinuri the president of tjie Netherton Ratepayei's’ Association (Mr T. Vowles) said .that the settlers were desirous of bringing the matter of. closing the gaps in the stop-bank and the provision of a flood-gat® at the Awaiti-Netherton tidal drain before Mr Samuel so that his support in recommending the urgency of the work could be invoked. The association was very appreciative of the efforts of the member in dealing witjh the matter, but, the reply received from the Minister as a result of •Mr Samuel’s, representations was not wholly satisfactory’, and apparently the department did not realise the urgency of the work. STOP-BANK GAPS. The president read the reply from the Minister for Public Works, who •stated, inter alia: “Regarding, the stop-bank. This has been discontinued,, at a point some little distance from Netherton. The urgent necessity at the time was to protect Netherton from flood waters coming acrosscountry to the Netherton district from higher up the Waihou River, and that has been done. The programme now is to- complete the whole of the, lower Waihou stop-bank to below Netherton with .the- suction dredge, this method being more suitable and cheaper than other methode'. Viewing the fact tliat it will. ta,ke some little time .to complete the culverting and other preparatory work at Netherton before stop-banking can commence, it is not thought, that the risk the Netherton district is subject to from ordinary floods, which the partial stop-banks below Ngahina can stand, is so great, as to warrant dislocating the present construction programme, especially as. considerably greater cost .would be involved. “Regarding construction of the Awaiti-Netherton drain flood-gate, it is anticipated that if arrangements have not already been made to start .this work the district engineer will be doing so very shortly, and instructions are being issued to this, effect.

“In regard to the suggestion that the sand dredge should deposit sand to fill .the existing borrow pits’as it moves down the river, J wish to point out that subsequent to the dredge completing this work one of the dragline dredges is to take O'u.t the soiling of . the sand stop-bank by making (further excavation between the riverbank and the stop-bank itself, but it is intended .to do ’this as far as possible so .that this, excavation presents; a fairly uniform slope towards the river edge. You will see,/however, from this sequence of operations that the existing borrow pits, cannot be filled by the sand dredge, as' suggested by you.

“Regarding the several smajl gaps 'in the stop-bank, it is understood that these have been made good. If there are any such .that have no,t yet been attended 'to the ditsrict engineer z will have them attended to without delay.” The president drew attention to the fact tha.t t,he letter was. dated February 5, but as yet the gaps had not been filled up as promised;

Mr J. A. Reid moved that Mr Samuel be asked to use his besh endeavouqj to have the stop-bank completed as early - as possible, as the danger of flooding the. lower portion of Netherton especially wa.s imminent with the approach of winter. Seconded by Mr T. Vowles.

Speaking to the resolution, Mr Reid said thtit the work required .to be continued to. a point below the old cheese factoiy. Mr Samuel, reminded the deputation that the. Minister had made promises. some of which had. been carried out. I:t was realised that if a, stopbank wais to be effective it must be continuous. The Awaiti drain had also been placed before the Minister,, who had promised to have the matter attended to. Following upon representations made by Mr H. J. Hare the matter ha.d been again taken up with the Minister, and also with the Public Works district engineer. The resolution was carried.

Addressing the deputation, Mr Samuel said that lie could picture nothing worse or more nerve-racking for a settler .than to have the knowledge that his farm was' subject, to flooding. The speaker sa;id he realised the. difficulties to contend with, and he would do all he could to have relief afforded at the earliest moment. The meeting could rely on any promise made by the Minister to any definite section of the public being carried ou,t. ,

Mr J. Wakeham said .that the damage to farm lands in the district by flooding had been assessed at £2 10s an acre, exclusive of stock. It was not good economy to suggest .that the expense cif moving the dredge was not warranted.

Mr Hare said .that Mr Samuel was alive to the urgent needs of the district, a,nd was doing his utmost to get the department to complete the work. The department would have to be pushed to complete the work. The district was in a worse predicament than ever it was. There was a portion extending for less, than a mile that required completing. Mr Wakeham suggested tha;t a small drag-line dredge could complete the work.

said it was imperative to have the bank completed to the high ground. Mr E. Jamieson thought that the provision of the flood-gate; would relieve the position.

In answer to Mr R. 1. Roberts the president, explained that the gaps in the stop-bank had been left to enable drains from the farms fronting the river to function.

Mi’ G. H. Potter pointed out that

the gaps, required to be completed below the factory .to be effective. Mr E, Jamieson moved that Mr Samuel be ashed to ’ urge upon. Mr Campbell, Public Works Engineer, the urgent necessity of having th® stop-banks closed, and that Mr Campbell, together with the local engineer, be invited to, Netherton to meet the settlers concerned, for the purpose of ascertaining .the danger that existed to the Netherton district from flooding.

Seconded by Mr H. J. Hare and carried.

Replying to the president, Mr Samueul said that he would notify the association of .the date of the conference if it could be arranged.

VIEWS OF THE MEMBER.

Addressing the deputation, Mr Samuel said that he realised the need of adequate protection from flooding. He was of. the opinion that'the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement Scheme would have to be made a national undertaking, and be .paid for out of the Consolidated Fund. The original scheme had been estimated to cost £1'50,000, but already threequarters of a million had been- spent, and the work was not completed. The constant dread of flooding such a wonderfully fertile district as Netherton. was nerve-racking, a,nd more than human endurance could stand. A flood not only subjected the settlers to a severe setback, and probably, rttin, but it undid the z expenditure of the enormous sum of money, the loss of which also had \to be shared by the people. Preferential treatment could not be expected for any particular isolated district, but he considered" the claims of the Netherton settlers were of extreme urgency and importance.

The president, said it was gratify- * ing to hear the member’s views in regard to the scheme. He agreed tnat the operations would have to become a. national undertaking. With the formation df drainage boards the rates would be excessive, and the settlers would never be able to carry the burden of the scheme. In conclusion Mr Samuel said that he would lose no time in bringing the ' matter of flood protection before the proper authorities, and he hoped security from floods would be afforded the settlers very shortly. A hearty vote of thajikjs 1 was accorded Mr Samuel for attending, and also to Mr Hare Tor his efforts in the matter. . . •