NO PROSPECTS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3275, 14 June 1943, Page 5

NO PROSPECTS

WAITAWHETA WATER reply by the minister BEST SUPPLY IN THE DISTRICT JK Although the Department of considers ,the Waitawheta 9 river as being the best potential source of water supply in that part of the Auckland district, the Minister of Lands, Hon. J. G. Barclay, advised Thursday night’s meeting ,of the Paeroa Borough Council that his officers could see no immediate prospects of it being required or made use of. The Minister was replying to a request from the council that the Waitawheta watershed be reserved so that local authorities could develop the stream into a water supply to serve a large part of the Thames Valley including Paeroa and the Hauraki Plains.

The Minister wrote as under: —

“I beg to refer to your letter of May 14, and to. previous correspondence on the subject of the representations made by the Paeroa Borough Council for the reservation of Crown land in the Waitawheta district for the* purpose of a comprehensive water supply scheme for and the surrounding district. Ample Reserves “The position has been looked into, and I am enclosing a lithograph showing the status of the lands in the watershed of the Waitawheta. It will be seen that there are already ample reservations of - lands in the Waitawheta Valley should a water supply from that source be developed and used in the future. “Practically the whole of the western side of the valley and a great portion of the eastern side is under reservation as State forest, and water conservation is one 'of the first principles of forest management. All the land in that locality considered suitable for settlement has long since been disposed of by the Crown,. so that it is most unlikely that anything in the- way of land settlement can take place to depreciate the value of the river for water supply purposes. Present Water Supply “The lithograph shows also the present Paeroa water supply reserve of 1312 acres. This area was set aside in 1899 for the conservation of a water supply for Paeroa. The reserve appears to be administered by the Ohinemuri County Council, which body it is understood supplies water to the borough council at a fixed annual charge. It will be noticed that a native block of 293 acres lies into the water supply reserve; but I understand the county council is prepared to purchase the area from the native owners at a reasonable fig-

ure. . “To* return to the Waitawheta, 1 am convinced that this river has been considered on several occasions in the past as a possible source of water ' supply for town and farming lands, and my department regards it as being the best potential source of supply in that part of the Auckland district. However, my officers see no immediate prospect of its being re- . quired or made'use of, and in the meantime it is suggested that the borough council might perhaps investigate the possibility of augmenting its present supply by the erection of another dam irf the water-supply reserve of 1312 acres referred to above. Not Favourably Inclined The Mayor, Mr Edwin Edwards, said the letter gave the impression that the department was not very favourably inclined towards proceeding with the scheme. Perhaps they considered the time was not opportune.

However, the Hauraki Plains County Council was interested in the scheme as well as the Paeroa Borough Council and it might be as well if a conference of all local bodies interested was called to discuss the letter from the Minister said the

Mayor. Mr D. G. McMillan asked whether it was possible to increase the supply from the present watershed. . The Mayor explained that he knew jthe present watershed well and he not think it lent itself for the ' erection of further storage tanks. The lay of the land was not suitable for the erection of another dam. No Increase For Present Supply

In his opinion it was not possible to increase the present water supply to any great extent frsm the present water-supply. It was decided to sent! a copy of the Minister’s letter to both the Hauraki Plains County Council and the Ohinemuri County Council for ffceir comment.