AWAITI DRAINAGE,

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5038, 11 October 1926, Page 4

AWAITI DRAINAGE,

INSPECTION BY MINISTER.

IMMEDIATE! RELIEF PROMISED.

The opportunity has beep taken by Mr A- M. Samuel, M.P., of the visit of the Hon. K. S. .Williams,, Minister of Public Works, tp Thames on Wednesday to discuss district drainage matters.

Yesterday morning a party comprising the Hon. K. S. Williams and Messrs C. J. McKenzie, acting En-gineer-in-Chief, Public Works, Department ; L. B. Campbell, district engineer, Auckland; O. G- Thornton, resident engineer, Paeroa; and A. M. Samuel M.P., met at the department’s workshops at the Puke. After an inspection of the depot was made the party proceeded by motor launch up the Ngararahi Canal to a point opposite Pukahu Road. Leaving the launch the stop-bank walsi 'reached, and Mr Samuel introduced a large..»tad representative deputation to the Minister and explained some of the difficulties the settlers, in that portion of the Awaiti district were suffering under.

Mr E. Jamieson acted as spokesman for the deputation, and the party then proceeded along Pukahu Road for about a mile to a point near the H drain. At the junction of Pukahu Road with Ngararahi Road a floodgate was asked for, through the stopbank, so .as to take the water front the roadside drain into the Waihou River and relieve the flow on the H drain. The area of land adjacant to Pukahu Road that would benefit) would be about 3000 acres.

Mr Jamieson explained that as. matters s.tood at present there was nearly three miles without any outlet for efficient drainage. With heavy rain large volumes of water came down the upper reaches and inundated the lower farms. He contended that $ flood-gate would be an inestimable boon in flood time.

An inspection was next made of the farmte o'f Messrs R. I. Roberts and W. Simpson, which .were inundated for the greater portions. Here it was shown that through the present system of drainage the water could not escape quickly enough, and lay on the ground until much of the pasture was almost ruined. It was. estimated .that the water w r as land-locked for nearly five miles, and it waia not reasonable that extra outlets should be refused. At present it meant that out of 70 chains of country 16 chains, were covered with deep water. The H drain was nearly 18in higher than some of the .adjacent properties. Mr Jamieson contended that there had been bungling on the part of the Public Works Department, for the reason that the H drain was not nearly large enough to cope with the volume of water. In antelwer to the Minister Mr Jamieson said that the land adjacent to Pukahu Road had consolidated. Mr Campbell said that he wondered at the settlors not having cleaned the H drain themselves if .they considered that relief through it would be afforded. The department had constructed the drain, but it could not put maintenance charges on to the capital cost of the Waihou. and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement; Scheme. Now the drain was there it apparently was nobody’s duty to see.- that it functioned.

Mr Jamieson said! that the settlers were willing to jnajintain the drain through their own. property, but to suggest that they 'should be responsible for two miles; -of it was tod much to expect.

Mr Campbell 'said that the fact of the department having cut off certain outlets had been amply compensated for by the provision of larger Outlets, and flood-gates.

Mr Samuel said that in his opinion the seat of, the;trouble was that when the schesae had been undertaken it had been mismanaged. The land should have been resumed by the Government, the work made a charge updtai the' Consolidated Fund, and when completed .the settlers should have been permitted to take up the land with a betterment clause added. As, it was, as much water was locked up as had been let out, and the settlers were suffering unnecessary hardships as a' consequence.

At this stage an adjournment was made to the residence of Mr W. H. Cheale, the Ministerial party being entertained to lunch.

After lunch Messrs Hayward and Sons waited on the Minister .and ashed that the flood-gate beyond the mill drain should be lowered, pr, as an.' alternative, the H drain be taken far-

ther up so that their property could be more efficiently drained. After a consultation with the engineers the Minister said that undoubtedly the settlers required immediate relief, inquiries would be made .at once, and if it was possible a pump would be installed at the foot of Pukahu Road and the water pumped from the drains across the stop-bank and into the Waihou River. He believed that if a pump was available relief could be given quickly by lowering the water in the drains. Steps would be taken to obtain a report on the position from the engineers, and th'q question of further work and“who was to carry the baby” would be decided later.

Mr Jamics.on reiterated that th®. Settlers required a flood-gate at the end of the ro.ad drain. It would be an additional safeguard, he contended, in the event of further slips blocking H drain.

Mr McKenzie said he did not approve of a flood-gate at the site mentioned. (Once the land consolidated slips could be avoided by increasing the batter on the drain.

On behalf of the settlers Mr Jamiesdn thanked the Minister for visiting their district, and for his assurance that relief would be forthcoming. Mr Cheale .also added his thanks for the ready help and interest taken in the plight of the settlers by Mr Samuel, and congratulated him on bringing the Minister out to the, district.

In acknowledging the thanks the Hon. Williams said that he was very pleased to have met the settlers and to have seen matters for himself, and he could assure them that he appreciated their difficulties and would do what he could.

The party then boarded the launch again and returned to the Puke.