PLAINS DRAINAGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5060, 3 December 1926, Page 4

PLAINS DRAINAGE.

CENTRAL AREA PROPOSALS. THE TWO BOARDS AG.REE. The matter of improved drainage' for. the area near the TuruarNetherton and Orchard East roads was discussed at the conference of the Haurafki and Horahia drainage boards at Tur.ua on Tuesday. The Horahia Board was familialwith the contents of a petition 'from some 20 settlers, as it had been .submitted to both boards, but recently these settlers prepared another petition amending the previous one by adding the improvement off Bagnall’s drain as. of the scheme: but without increasing the cost. This supplementary petition was presented to the Hauraki .Board and was re.ad to the Horahia Board at the conference.

In reply to Mr McDuff Mr Gray said that no estimates of cost had been prepared. Mr McDuff expressed the opinion that the £lOOO loan stipulated would not be sufficient;. Mr Gray said that the Hauraki Board had adopted the settlers’ proposal as a basis of negotiations: with the Horahia Board. The petition represented over 90 per cent, o’f thq settlers interested, and something should be done as quickly as possible.

Mr J. Hamilton Advocated utilising the present Thames Valley outlet in preference to a new site for the outlet.

Messrs Kneebone, Hale, and McMillan advocated placing the new floodgates in new ground. Mr Hale favoured the scheme, with the exception of the method mentioned for improving the Willow drain. Messrs Gray and Hamilton, mentioned that the other works advocated did away with the need 'for much improvement to the Willow drain. Mr McDuff disagreed with' the general view that the flooding was dne to water from th© Kerepeehi rbad, and pointed out that during the last two floods all drains on the eastern side df the Kerepeehi road had been blocked. The flooding in the area under discussion was due to the water that Ml in and very nea|r that area, and the solution would be the improvement of the Willow outlet. Mr Hamilton pointed out that the proposed drain through Bagnall’s was intended to be continued to tap the Zig-zag drain to relieve the Willow 1 drain. The petition only advo'cated it to Bagnall’s boundary, ajsi that was the boundary of the Hauraki Board’s area.

To ©.liable progress to be made Mr Heappey moved, and Mr S. Murray seconded, that the conference was of the opiiiio'n that the improvement of the Te Kauri No. 1, including the Thames Valley outlet ajnd two 4ft flood-gates, was necessary for the scheme.

Mr Gray asked if the Horahia Board was prepared to contribute more than the £l4OO-odd allocated.

Mr McDuff said that in his opinion

the boards should contribute equally. As .an amendment Mr McMillan moved that the whole of the s.draiii be dealt with collectively, instead ot separately.

Mr. Heappey urged adoping a draft proposal and then having detailed estimates prepared and submitted to the sellers. He poined out that the Horahia Board had evidently favoured the Te Kauri outlet, as it had allot ated some of its loan money for it. The Hauraki Board favoured the drain, so he did not see the need for the amendment. ( The amendment was supported by Messrs Kneebone, McDuff, Thompson, Davies, and McMillan and opposed by the seven others, thus, being defeated. A similar division resulted in the adoption of the motion. Mr McMillan moved, and Mr McDuff seconded, that the Willow drain proposal be adopted, provided the batter was made safe on the willow trees side and one to one on the north side. This necessitated the removal o'f the treesi

Mr Hamilton moved aS an amendment that the drain be battered on one side only, thus leaving the trees undisturbed.

The amendment found no seconder and the motion was, carried. Mr Hale moved, and Mr McMillan seconded, that the Wharepoa Road north side drain be improved. Mr Davies advocated including thq south side drain as well, but it was pointed out that this drain was not within the scope of the discussion, as it was not in the area concerned with the petition. The motion was carried unanimously.

The remaining sections of the petition concerned the suggested deviation o'f the Willow drain across. Taylor’s section and the proposed drain through Bagnall’s.' Mr McMillan moved, and Mr Mules seconded, that the Willow deviation be approved.

' Mr Hamilton pointed out that the proposal meant constructing about 35 chains of 4ift drain at an estimated cost of £100 : .

Mr Hale suggested that the motion be amended by adding the words "provided money is available aftier tihe other drains are completed.” Mr Hamilton raised the point that the work on the Willow depended on •this deviation. As an amendment Mr McDuff move.d, and Mr, Thompson seconded, that the cost of the deviation be borne by the Hauraki Board’s district alone, as the drain would not benefit the Horahia area.

This contention was combated by Mr Gray. The movers o'f the motion did not agree to the suggested addition by Mr Hale, and Mr McDuff agreed to withdraw his amendment prdvidqd the loan would only be charged £75 for the work. In this form the motion was carried.

Tn regard to the Bagnall’s; drain proposal Mr Miller said he understood

that this was substituted for the sug-

gested Taylor-Allan drain included in dnq of the first petitions. This work was estimated to cost over £5OO, and was deleted by the settlers from their recent proposals on account o'f thp cost.

Mr Davies moved that Bagnall’s drain be included in the schema. He pointed out that it would provide an outlet for a large area that had no drainage.

Mr Thompson objected to any money from the’ Horahia Board’s southern area being taken for the, wofrk. In further discussion it was pointed out that Mr S. W. Bagnall did not object to his land being taken, but he considered the benefit he would receive would not be sufficient to compensate him for the damage and inconvenience caused. He therefore desired payment of compensation. The motion was seconded by Mr Hamilton.

As an amendment Mr Thompson ■moved that the proviso that no money be allocated from the southern area” be added.

This was seconded by Mr McDuff.

Mr McMillan pointed out .that the cost of maintenance of so many big drains in the locality would be more than the generaj rates could bear. On that point he was against the motion. This, factor w«s supported by Mr Miller, who panted out that i’f a drain was necessary it should be put in, but i'f it could not be maintained it could perhaps be cleaned by the board every othe.r year. Settlers could clean it the alternate years if necessary. 1

Mr Hale said he would vote against the drain, as he did not see that there was money available. If the loan was made too large the poll would not be carried.

iMr McMillan .pointed out. that if the Horajiia Board did not agree to continue .the drain through its[ area to tap the Zig-zag th© outlet would bq wholly for the Hauraki area, and as such was unnecessary, as the Wharepoa roadsinde drains were only 15 chains ajway.

The division on the motion resulted in Bagnall’s drain being supported only by Messrs Davies, Hamilton, and Miller, and it was therefore deleted (from the scheme.

Concluding the conference Mr Hale urged that the Hauraki Board proceed with the matter as quickly as possible.

Mr Gray said tha,t estimates would be prepared immediately, and steps would be taken to get the consent of the ratepayers to the raising of the loan as soon as possible. This would be by petition, and ndt by poll.

matter mentioned in the petition that had beeii overlooked was the stop-banking. On the motion o'f Mr Kneebone, seconded by Mr Haimilton, this was agreed to.The matter o>f including the improvement of the Wharepoa Road south side drain in the scheme and including the settlers concerned in the ratiiig area was, brought up by M>- McMillan, who urged that if the proposal would not mean antaigonising the, petitioners it should be do ,- e. instead of 'farming a separate rating area.

In the discussion that followed it was pointed out that there was ample money allocated for the small ajmounf of work necessary, and the matter was dropped.

It was decided that a competent engineer be employed to prepare proper plans 'for the No. 1 Te Kauri and Willow drains, and that the chairmen of the two boards bo empowered to select a suitable man:.