HAURAKI DRAINAGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5490, 21 October 1929, Page 3

HAURAKI DRAINAGE.

MEETING OF UNITED BOARD.

LITTLE BUSINESS TRANSACTED.

The Hauraki United Drainage Board held its monthly meeting at Turua on Friday, Mr H. H. Hicks presiding over Messrs J. Hamilton, S. G. Williams, S. S. Murray, R. H. Heappey, F. L. Hamilton, J. C. Miller, and the clerk, Mr J. E. Green.

Road on Stop-bank. The Hauraki Plains County Council advised that the settlers along the Piako River desired the formation of a s£ock route along the river bank between the Orchard bridge and Kerepeehi. The board’s views on the matter were sought. Mr F. L. Hamilton said that it had always been the policy of the board to prevent stock from wandering on stopbanks, which were worn away.

The chairman agreed, and asked who would be responsible for the maintenance of the stop-bank. All the members expressed strong views against the suggestion, and on the motion of the chairman it was unanimously decided : “That this board considers that the stop-banks from Ngatea to Kerepeehi could not be used as a stock route without impairing their efficiency, and therefore cannot risk having its ratepayers’ land flooded by the Piako River.”

Piako Road Bridge. The Turua Town Board wrote advising that Messrs Bagnall Bros., Ltd., desired to know the type of crossing which would be required over the Piako River drain from the road along the front of the domain. It was decided to insist on a bridge similar’ to the Oparia Road bridge. Shelly Beach Drain. Mr Miller reported that the Shelly Beach Road drain had slipped badly. The slips had been removed, but further slips were likely, as the country was bad. Improvement was necessary outside the flood-gate. It was decided to ask Mr A. M. Samuel, M.P., to ascertain the position in regard to the board’s application for a grant for this work. Netherton Boundary Area. Mr Heappey reported that as yet he had not inspected the area on the boundary of the Netherton Board with Mr G. Buchanan, but from a short conversation he had had he did not anticipate that any difficulty would be experienced in reaching a settlement suitable to both boards. Ngatea Stop-bank Drain. The chairman stated that the Lands Drainage Department proposed to construct a drain parallel with the Piako River below the Ngatea bridge to replace the stop-bank drain. At the board’s request the department would continue the drain construction beyond the point desired by Mr Schultz to connect with Johnstone’s drain. If this was done the board would have to fence and maintain it. The chairman was instructed to interview the lands drainage engineer on the matter and urge him to have the flood-gate for Johnstone’s internal drain left open, with a view to it being used in the future. Huirau Point Gates. Mi* F. L. Hamilton said that he had been approached by some Huirau Point settlers with the suggestion that prior to the raising of the concrete walls above the Baker-Madgwick drain flood-gate as part of the new stop-bank, the gates should be lowered. The stop-bank work would be done shortly as unemployed relief work, and as there was little doubt that this gate would have to be lowered at some time in the future, the Pub-, lie Works Department might do it now if the board paid for it. It was advisable to lower the gate before the wall was raised.

The chairman and area members were instructed to interview the Public Works Department’s resident engineer relative to all gates which required attention after they had conferred with the settlers concerned. Arrears of Rates. It was decided to take legal proceedings to recover all arrears of rates. Certain rates on land which had gone back to the Crown, and ' thus could not be recovered, were written off, as also were certain irrecoverable Native rates.