NETHERTON DRAINAGE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5414, 22 April 1929, Page 1

NETHERTON DRAINAGE

hauraki west area, MEETING OF BOARD. The Hauraki plains. West Drainage Board 'held a special meeting last Thursday evening, Mr C. W. Parfitt presiding over. Messrs J l . Motion, T. A. McClean, A. Douglas. The clerk, Mr E. L. Walton, and the foreman, Mr E. FJavell, were in attendance. TENDERS ACCEPTED. Tenders were received and con ‘ tracts were let for th® following: No. 14 : Phillips’ road drain widening, L. Ivan, Is; Nd. 16: New drain on Puhanga island and improving between sections 1 and 6, C. Douglas, lid; No. 41; Improving 117 chains Puhanga c.anal road east side drain, R. Erceg, Is; No. 4i2 : Cleaning Ra>vela.we canal reserve drain, j. W. Gribble, 2a 9d. CLASSIFICATION. Advice was received from the clerk of the court, Thames, that no objections had been lodged in connection of the Board’s area. HOPAI EAST DRAINAGEMessrs D. Waite and L. M MuiJftJ'» of Hopai Road, waited on the Board, Mr Waite said that the area at the lower end of the Hopai Road was not receiving adeQuate drainage, and it appeared that the remedy suggested itself—pumping. Levels taken at high spring tide recently showed that the river was two feet higher than the land, and the effect was that the land was flooded by the back country water. The clerk said that according to the Government plait there was, a drop in the land! level of two feet from the Pipiw-Hopai Road corner to the land near the flopdgate.

Mr Waite said that until the Hopai road drain was extended to tin© back country the area near, .the river enjoyed good dsjnage.

Mr Murray said tlut he had been living at Hopai for 19 years, but the trouble had only bean during the past seven years. It was now desperate, for the ground was sour, and the water lodged up to within an inch of the surface. and roots '9pb r went down one inch, so pasture dried out in time of drought. Even when the drainage problem was solved the settlers would haves difficulty in bringing t'heir land into productivity again. Mr partitt said that he was of the opinion that a lot of the trouble had been a leak in the floodgate. For years there had been a hole big enough for a man to get through. Inn reply to Mr Parfitt, Mr Waite said that the deputation did not have a proposition to put forward, as it did not represent a large enough area.. It hoped the Board would recognise their problem and go into the question of a pumping scheme. Mr Parfitt said the board’s ratewas limited to l%d, which was barely sufficient to clean the drains, even though several had been abandoned. He did not think a pump at Hopai would solve the difficulty, as a watertight compartment could not be made. The Board’s rates qer,tainly would not pay for maintenance of the pump. Mr Motion said that all the area to within a mile of Waitakaruru could benefi t by a pumping qcheme.

In reply to Mr Murray, the chairman said that if a loan was considered necessary the; formal procedure would entail a delay of about a year before a benefit, would be received.

The clerk mentioned that if the capital cost was found by the settlers the maintenance costs could be found by an additional half-penny rate within a ward oil condition that the settlers within that ward signified their willingness to have their, general rate increased above the; limit. This additional %d< would give the Board ap additional £4OO a year. A long discussion ensued on the cost of pumping by electricity. Mr Walton asked if it were possible to get the • settlers to combine to pay the capital cost of the pumps, and also was it possible to get the settlors to combine to permit the Board to increase Its general rate a little to cover pumping. If this was possible the Board could define into wards, the areas requiring pumping. He was of opinion r that the petition asking the Boad to increase its rating power would have to be signed by two-thirds of all the ratepayers in the whole of the Board’s area. In regard to the cost of pumps it would be more economical, considering the smallness of the sums to pay them by subscription instead of by a loan over a long period, as in s(uch a case the amount repaid was two and a half times the amount, borrowed. Technical details were disc.ussed for some time. Mr .White asked if the Board would riot restrict the flaw of water from the baick country if pumping could not be done. Members pointed! out that such action would be detrimental to thptee lands, above where thq drain was restricted. Finally it was decided that a petition be circulated asking .the Board to, epnsidter the advisability of a pumping scheme to supplement, gravity drainage. The amount of support shown would give a lead asi to the extent of the scheme.