DRAINAGE AREA.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 234, 26 April 1928, Page 4

DRAINAGE AREA.

IN PUTARURU RIDING.

Near Town Boundary.

Settlers adjoining the Putaruru Town District boundary, or. the Arapuni road, have been somewhat concerned about the drainage of their sections, largely through lack of agreement in regard to questions of procedure and the work to be done. With a view to placing matters on a sound basis, all the settlers interested agreed to place their views on the matter before the Matamata County Council with a unanimous request that a small drainage area be formed. As a result a conference of the parties concerned was held at Tirau, at which the chairman of the Putaruru Town Board was present to watch proceedings on behalf of the Town Board.

The views of the county engineer, Mr. M. E. Fitzgerald, were that the problem was a very small one, provided each ratepayer did his share of cleaning and maintaining a drain which would run from the Pokaiwhenuo to the town boundary. It was felt, however, that to secure uniformity some kind of a board should be formed, and to place the matter on a satisfactory basis, so far as the settlers were concerned, the meeting decided to obtain a report from Mr. W. R. Johnston, drainage engineer, of Waihou. On Tuesday last, in company with Mr. M. E. Fitzgerald, county engineer, Mr. Johnston visited the area, and made a thorough inspection. His report on the matter will be made available during the course of the next two weeks.

Seen by a representative of the Fress, Mr. Johnston stated that though he had not had time to consider all the data relating :o the proposed drainage board, his first impressions were that the area which would actually benefit by the proposed drain was so small that he doubted whether it was worth the overhead cost which would necessarily be attached to the formation of a drainage board. However, he recognised that there were special features attached to this particular area, which might not be so obvious in other districts, and that until he had time tj fully go into all the points he had noted, he could not express a definite opinion.