AWAITI, DRAINAGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5053, 17 November 1926, Page 4

AWAITI, DRAINAGE.

TERMINATION OF CONFERENCE.

COMMITTEE TO BE SET UP.

The conference between thq settlers of the AujJti district and officers of the Lands'Drainage and Public Works Departments., held in the Netherton Hall on Friday last to discuss matters in connection with drainage and flood protection, was resumed after lunch.

Mr Samuel suggested .that any resolution from a particular portion oB the, people would be a futile one, because the interests of the community were interlocked. s Mr H. E. Hill addressed his remarks to the Under-Secretary, ajid referred back to 1917, when Sir Francis Bell visited the settlement, and reminded the Under-Secretary of what had taken place- from that time onward. He maintained that the Government had said that it wculd form and metal all roads in the settlement?* That contract, he said, had been side-stepped. Drainage in the Awaiti gave 10ft of fall in 3% miles. Such was no drainage problem. Although his section was one of the highest he had not nine inches of freeboard. The blocks would have tP come; out, and on account of the fall there was no engineering problem. He had every sympathy with the Elstow people, and if the roadside drains to Netherton we,re cleaned out relief would be afforded.

The Under-Secretary remarked that until the flood-gate at Netherton was completed the drain could not be improved satisfactorily. He would not make a promise that he could not carry out.

Mr Hill said it was a shame that the had been placed, on Mr Taylor who had always done his best. Mr M. A. Carter said he was not barracking for his particular area. If the H drain had a op& to one batter it would function properly, if kept clean, and take the water off the Awaiti settlement. The. natural watershed was where the blocks had been put in. Such blocks were necessary for pumping purposes, a f nd would continue to be necessary. The secret o>f. success was "to. keep the. drains at 3ft below land level winter and summer. The salvation of the Hauraki Plains was pumping, he belie,ved. Immediate relief would be afforded if the drains were constructed to a one to one batter and kept clean. Mr T. Vowles said that in the olden days the batter of., one to one was practically the solution. He had lost over £lOOO. through the flobd protection afforded the Awaiti settlers. The Under-Secretary said .that the one to one batter encouraged a rapid, growth of weeds. During the past year the Hauraki Plains had returned more tha.n half thq cost of the whole of the Hauraki Plains drainage scheme. He considered that the settlers were doing mighty well. Nowhere in Ne,w Zealand were such favourable returns shown.

Mr C. H. Potter a School Road settler, said agreed with the Lands Department having put in the blocks in the drains referred to, but thought that it would hayq been prudent to have advised the settlers concerned, .

After several other settled had expressed different opinions on the, situation Mr Samuel addressed the meeting. .’He said he was sure that the conference would be of value, because the Government officials would leave Netherton with,much useful information, and also sympathy, regarding the plight of the settlers. There was no more nerve-racking experience than to live in constant dread of floods and attendant losses. He could not see that any good purpose would be served by prolonging the conference. The Minister of Public Works and the Lands Drainage officials had seen the actual conditions, and an assufSmce had been given that relief would be afforded the settlers. The financial position had to be; considered, and Cabinet Ministers were guardians of the public purse. A scheme suggested by laymen would not be acceptable to engineers and others with professional training. The settlers could rely on the Government giving assistance, but it was desirable to look at the whole matter f-’tom a broad standpoint. He suggested that the matter of relief should be left ill the hands of the Public Works Department and the La ; nds Drainage Department. With Mr Thompson to lead them, a committee could be set up to sit at Nethertoh in three weeks’ time to take evidence of all the settle,i;s concerned. It. it was considered necessary the services of an outside engineer, to act in an advisory capacity, might be engaged.

A resolution on .the lines suggested was then moved by Mr H. A. Mills, seconded by Mr Wakehani, and carried.

Mr Thompson said that he wOuld be pleased to make representations to his Minister and officials concerned on his 'return to Wellington. He assured the settlers that he was desirous of doing all he cbuld to afford relief, and the matter would be looked into without delay. MR. E. TAYLOR’S REPLY. Mr E. Taylor, in replying to the attacks made on him, said,that the trouble arose when he was in,Auckland. Mr Kidd and two others had looked into the matter and submitted reports. The reports varied from five to seven acres submerged. On the following day he had inspected the land and had found haff an acre submerged. The other officers had nothing to gain by underestimating. Statements were made that 1000 acres were under water. There were only 1900 acres, of Lands Department land, and the land submerged and probably inspected by the Mayor of Paeroa was very likely not in the department’s area. Mr H. Dally said that on the day thqt'e were ten acres under water, to which Mr Oilsen agreed.

Mr Townsend stated that 40 acres of his land were inundated.

Mr Taylor fi,aid he was only concerned with Crown land. He quite believed that there were two or three thousand acres of other la,nd inundated. Mr Taylor said tha ; t the maintenance of all the drains in the whole district was of the utmost importance;. Had the H drain and the other drains in the district been in good order there would probably not have been any flood at all.

The meeting then closed. with hearty votes of thanks to 1 the Undersecretary for Lands and officials of both departments ’for attending. Mr Samuel was. also thanked for arranging the conference and for the time and interest he was giving to the matter.

After the meeting the officials inspected drains at Mr Olsen’s property on the southern boundary, at Mr Con-

sidine’s on the main A>aiti road, and at Mr G. McKain’s property.