WAITAKARURU DRAINAGE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5400, 15 March 1929, Page 2

WAITAKARURU DRAINAGE

AREA TO BE CONSTITUTED.

COUNCIL ACCEPTS CONTROL

The question of ways and nneaps of providing better drainage facilities for the area between the Waitfakarui u-. Miranda road and the foothills and the Paeroa-Pokeno rbad and the district about the hot springs 'has been under consideration by the settlers concerned for several yearsSeveral alternative schemes, involving the construction of. c,atc,h-water canals and big outlets have been prepared by the Lands Drainage Department and submitted to the settlers. These outlets used natural streams through the mudflats, and would prove satisfactory. Apparently some finality has been reached, for tlie Hauraki Plains County Council at its meeting yesterday received a petitio-n asking it to take steps to have the area constituted a drainage district under the provisions of the Lands Drainage Act. The petitioners w\ejre A. C. Orr, W. Stretton, R. A. Coxhead 1 , T. Broc,klehurst, C. T. Stretton, C- A. Hayward, E. C. Adams, S- Otter, E. Coxhead, E. Stretton, F. J. Stretton, L. Bates, C. J. Adams, A. Buckland and Sons. Ltd., J. E. Death, W. T- Cta, N. Cox, and G. Mclnnes-Hqndorf. A deputation comprising. Messrs AVStretton, C. Stretton, and A- C- Orr waitotl upon the council and asked that it become a drainage board to carry out the scheme. Owing to the smallness of. the area iti yvas undesirable to form a drainage board, as the c O st of administration would be high. Thq proposed area comprised about 5000 acres, and the main problem was the water which came from the foothills.

Mr W- Stretton explained that practically all -the settlers in the area had signed the petition. A loan of about. £lO,OOO would be necessary, and this would require; a rate of. about is an acre.

Tiie chairman said that he was familiar with the position. The Landa Department would undertake tiie scheme if tjlie settlers organised into a responsible body. The Department. of Internal Affairs had rejcommended that the settlers get the council to undertake the functions of a drainage board, as it .was Quite permissible for it to do.

Cr. Madgwick said that, as lua understood the position, the council was bound to do as it was asked.

In reply to Cr. Hicks the chairman said that the; council wasi not recompensed for the extra work entailed. Cr. Harris moved that the c.ouncil give effect to the prayer of tiie petition.

Cr. Hicks said he disliked the idea, and pointed out that it was a lot to ask all councillors to make themselves familiar with the complex drainage problems of the area. Cr. Madgwick said it was part of the liability assumed by councillors when they took on the position. The motion was seconded by Cr. Parfitt and carried.