NO OUTLET?

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3254, 19 April 1943, Page 8

NO OUTLET?

DRAINAGE COMPLAINT BOARD DOES NOT AGREE SETTLER’S LETTER TO BOARD A protest that he was being deprived of his only drainage outlet, a contention with which members did not agree, was made to Thursday’s meeting of the Hauraki United Drainage Board by Mr W. McDuff, of Ngatea. Mr McDuff wrote to the board as under:—

“I would like to know the board’s intention regarding my only outlet, Orchard road drain, which is in front of my property. This drain has not ■been cleaned during the past three years and as I was asked some years ago to deepen my drains so as to prevent scouring into the outlet. I did this but if the outlet is allowed to close up my drainage will be completely cut off.

“In the past the board endeavoured to give each settler two outlets but to-day some settlers get their internal drains taken over while others are deprived of their one and only outlet. Straight To River “I notice the chairman stated he would find a more direct outlet for Orchard East water but it is beyond me how he is going to get a more direct outlet that a straight run to the river as at present.

The clerk, Mr J. E. Green, reported that he had written to Mr McDuff pointing out that the board Still cleaned the Louch-McDuff drain at the back of his property and also the roadside drain from the floodgate to a footbridge into his property. He stated that he had also explained that the roadside drain was not being cleaned by the board for so long a distance as it used to be because the board recently improved and reconditioned the drain from the Orchard road corner along Parry’s frontage to the Johnston drain thus diverting a considerable amount of the water from the Kerepeehi-Kopuarahi road which used to. go down the roadside, down the Johnston drain.

Mr McDuff had replied to his letter continued the' clerk, contending that the Louch-McDuff drain was of no benefit to him as an outlet because it had a considerable fall from it to the roadside drain. The letter added:—

“If you will go back a few years ago you will find the board prosecutect me when my son cut a very small channel into the Louch-McDuff drain. “If I attempted to drain into the Louch-McDuff drain I would bring the water to the roadside drain so you can count the. Louch-McDuff drain out so far as my drainage is concerned.

Nd Benefit to Him

“The Parry drain does not make one iota of difference to my drainage, the only outlet which is of any us to me is the roadside drain and as I pointed out before if this is allowed to close it will be impossible for me to drain by property in any direction. If I have got to pay rates I am entitled to an outlet.

The chairman, Mr G. K. Fox, stated that he considered Mr McDuff was getting all the drainage he needed.

There was never any water in the drain even if it was not cleaned. Drained On Three Sides Mr C. W. Schultz pointed out that at one time Mr McDuff had drains on three sides of his, property while he drained the fourth side. “Conditions are not so good to-day,” commented Mr Schultz. \

Both Messrs Fox and Schultz agreed in the ensuing discussion that the roadside drain was giving Mr McDuff a better service than any other drain could do. They pointed out that formerly Mr McDuff used to experience flooding which did not trouble him to-day; > Several members contended that Mr McDuff would get better drainage if he attended to his own internal drains.

It was agreed to advise Mr McDuff that the board considers the present drainage system to be the most satisfactory.