RIVER WHARVES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5474, 13 September 1929, Page 2

RIVER WHARVES.

ACQUISITION BY COUNTY. MATTER TO BE CONSIDERED. The Piako River wharves were mentioned at the Hauraki Plains County Council meeting yesterday. In his report the engineers stated : “The land end of Pipiroa wharf is in a very bad state, wooden sheathing has rotted away, and the embankment is slipping into the river. Stringers and decking are also rotten. It is barely possible to use the wharf for traffic in its present condition. The Kaihere wharf is completely useless as it is for the purpose of landing •metal. All wharves require certain ■repairs.” The matter was also mentioned as follows in the clerk’s report:— "The question of taking over the wharves on the Piako River and at Waitakaruru has been deferred for some time. My reasons for not proceeding has been that application has been made to the department for repairs to be effected to the Kaihere wharf and shed, while Johnstone’s wharf (Ngatea) is left in mid-river. While in Wellington Mr McMorrin inquired why the matter was being held up, and the position was explained to him. He asked that I should write to him and explain matters fully from the council’s point of view. Incidentally it was admitted by Mr McMorrin and Mr O’Donnell, chief accountant of the Lands Department, that the wharves were originally constructed for the convenience of the department and not the settlers.

“The position at present from the council’s point of view is as follows : “The wharves may be taken over and run by the council under the Harbour Boards Act at a nominal price of Is. Constitution of the district and vesting of power in the council entails legal procedure,, and probably Order-in-Council.

“The Kaihere wharf is in a of utter disrepair, and will require, in Mr McMorrin’s opinion, over £2OO expended to make it good.

“Johnstone’s wharf is useless as at present, and as the council does not require it, the wharf should be removed and the piles used in the reconstruction of the Kaihere wharf.

“The county engineer reports that the Pipiroa wharf is in need of reparite. The council has already expended a considerable sum on repairs to the Kopuarahi, Rawerawe, and Puhanga Canal wharves to enable the unloading of metal supplies. “The draft agreement for the sale and purchase provides for the council bearing the cost of any repair and expenses to Johnstone’s wharf. As the Lands Department was, through its dredging operations, responsible for the isolation of Johnstone’s wharf, I consider this clause unreasonable. “I would recommend that before any further steps are taken in the matter a special meeting should be held at which the whole matter from the commencement should be gone into and a decision finally arrived at. The finance committee recommended that a special meeting be held in a fortnight, and this was agreed to.