NUISANCES AT KUKU.

Shannon News, 13 December 1921, Page 1

NUISANCES AT KUKU.

COMPLAINTS AGAINST LOCAL - SETTLERS. The Horowhenua County Council had letters before it at Saturday’s meeting from Dr. J. E.. Paris, Medical Officer of Health, concerning alleged j nuisances at the Kuku. | The first complaint was as follows: | ‘‘lt is reported to me by an officer of * this Department that a nuisance exists on premises situated at Kuku Road, Horowhenua County, occupied by . The nuisance jis naused -by the keeping of pigs. In this connection the Inspector’s rep6rt reads as follows: ‘The j animals have no definite boundary, ■: and the troughs are at the boundary , fence, and feeding is done there. The j stopping and spilling of 'whey, which . perhaps canriot be avoided, causes an ! offence.’ Under paragraph C of Sec- ! tion 20 of the Health Act, 1920, it is [ the duty of the local authority to take J all; necessary steps .to secure the abatement of uRy .nuisance which occurs within its Under paragraph H of Section" 20, ukhuisance exists where any buildings or premises for the keeping or birds are so constructed, situated, used or‘kept, or are in such a condition as to be dangerous to health or offensive.” In accordance with this section, the Medical Officer asked that a notice under Section 26 be served on the owner, calling on him to abate the said nuisance in the following manner: (1) The owner to be requested to keep his pigs and feeding troughs in an enclosure at a distance ‘of two chains from the road; s)rihe present pipe drain led. to the J, stream, to be disconnected, the.; drainage carried back intpdife'pgddqck. in his own land. ■ Dr. Paris fstated the second complaint to him existed on certain other Rjfemises at the Kuku, the nuisance being caused by the keeping of pigs. The Inspector’s report on this case was as follows: ‘‘ln company with the Cdunty Engineer, I made an inspection of the settlement owing to many complaints re the keeping of | animals and the fouling of the roads by the factory suppliers spilling whey 1 on the roadside and in ditches and [ depressions, thus causing an offensive odour. In this case a very great offence is given by the keeping of pigs just on the boundary road fence, where the pig troughs are .situated, and where the animals are fed from the roadside. Whey becomes very offensive.” After drawing attention to the provisions of the Act to meet [ such cases, Dr. Faris asked that notice be served on this owner requesting him to remove the troughs and animals to a definite boundary two chains from a dwelling or roadway. The Engineer said in regard to one of the places complained of, the cow byre was in a filthy condition, but the curious part of it was that this did hot come under the Health Department, which could not interfert, as this was an Agricultural Department matter. The position was ludicrous.

The chairman (Cr. Monk) said he visited the Kuku the previous day with the Engineer, and found the position just as it was set out by the Health Officer. The pig troughs were right up at the roadside, and a good deal of whey seemed to be spilled on the road. It was a matter that should be put a stop to at once. Cr. McLeavey: I thought we had served notice on the suppliers not to tip,whey on the roads. - The Chairman: They tip it in their paddocks now. Cr. Harkness: Adjacent to the road? The Chairman said he was not sure of that. All the Council could do was to carry out the instructions of the Health Officer, and serve the persons concerned with the notices accordingly.