HUT TOWNSHIP BEING BUILT

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5320, 5 February 1947, Page 2

HUT TOWNSHIP BEING BUILT

MARAETAI iW'Ji.O LARGE AREA TO ACCOMMODATlEl " 3900 PEOPLE. ••• Extending over an area hearly three miles long and several hutidred yards wide, the buildSng project* in 'connection with the establishment of the new township . of Mangakino and the Publie Works t. Department's headquarters on the west bank of the Waikato ftiver, which serve the Maraetai and Whakamaru hydro-electric works, is now taking shape. A great deal has been done in thodast year. As the ldeality is isolated, the first object has beeii'to provide housing and social facilities for the thousand or more men who will be employed there, To this end, 100 single men's buts have been_ transported to tbe area, while 60 niarried men's quarters, eaeh consisting of two joined army huts and a new addition, are being erected. The buts and1 cottages are neatly arranged in streets, and when painted should look attractive.

School ESrected. There is a school, surrounded by a spacious playing field. An area to accommodat'e several football fields and other sports grounds has been levelled and sown in clover preparatory to grassing. The timber and walls of a large Y.M.C.A. hall have been transferred from Karapiro to Maraetai and will be re-erected shortly. There are a post offiee, stores, cookbouse, messing halls, and a hostel near at hand. Provision is being made for a population of 3000 people at Mangakino. A great deal of work is in progress in erecting a large buik store, workshoifs, and a timber mill in connection with tbe Maraetai scheme. A reservoir to hold 220,000 gallons of water has been built on an eminence 170 feet above the township and 2500 feet away. A nine-incn pipe-line will connect the reservoir with the town supply. Water will he.pumped from the river into the reservoir. Sewerage will also be provided. Power transmission lines have been run from Aiapuni to Maraetai and electricity foi all purposes is supplied to the project and to Mangakino. The site selected for the dam i? ideal, but, while Karapiro is readily accessible, Maraetai is not, and a tremendous amo'unt of excavation i? necessary for access roads and for the establishment of sites for the structures required.

Deep Gorge. The dam is to be built in a gorge which, at 20 feet above water level, is 150 across. The cliffs on the eastern side rise to a height of 600 feet above water level, while those on the western side are 3001 feet high and then slope away. They eonsist of hard rock, providing excellent material with which to connect the wings of the dam. The prineipal task in hand at present is the construction of a curved circular tunnel, which when completed will pierce the western embanfcment. Work is in progress at both ends an? the hard rock has be"en penetrated tc. a distance of '140 feet in the top hall of the tunnel at the outlet end. The tunnel will be 1800 feet long and wil. have a diameter of 20 feet. A good deal of seepage has been encounterei. and concrete grouting and pumpinp have been necessary. Two seven and a half ton cableways are being erected over the site of the dam to carry the concrete for tihc dam, which will absorb 200,0'00 cuoie yards in its construction. Other work in hand is the tar-seal-ing of-th'e approach road from Toko roa, 135 miles from Maraetai lowlevel bridge and 18 miles from the dam site. It is also proposed to tarseal the roads through the township and leading to the dam.

Investigations at Whakamaru;. A great deal of investigation work is proceeding at Wihafeaniaru, where it is proposed to erect a station capable of generating 90,000 kilowatts. The exact site of the station has nol yet been determined. An approach road from the Tokoroa-Maraetai highway has been constnucted and a lowlevel bridge giving access to the western side of the river has been built. The brige spans the.narrowest stretch of the Waikato River, which at thb point is only 25 feet wide. It is, however, 70' feet deep. Numerous shafts have been s'un1. on hoth sides of the river at Whakamaru to ascertain the porosity of thc embarikments and their capacity foi holding the ahutments of the dam. The establishment of further hydroelectric stations on the Waikato River is having a very beneficial effect in directions other than the provision of powei\ The new roads required have opened up vast areas of lunimproved Crown land for settlement and timber belts which were formerly inaccessi'ble. Land iDevelqpment. The Lands Department has comrnenced the development of 20,000 acres on the western side of the Waikato River at Whakamaru, and already has levelled and ploughed 12001 acres preparatory to sowxng. The land is considered to be coimparable with that at Tokoroa, which, since the advent of cobalt, is now one of the most productive areas south of Auckland. It is proposed to settle ex-sefvicemen on it. iSteps are also being taken to open up timber lands at Titiraupenga .and Plulkeora,'-some miles to the west of Mangakino. Much of the open land near Maraetai is owned by ' Maoris. Difficulties in developing it may be encountered, but it is all easy to work. On aceount bf the hydro-electrk' schemes in the vicinity it has greatly appreciated in value.