ALTERATION OF PLANS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 807, 30 October 1929, Page 10

ALTERATION OF PLANS

LOCAL BODY’S DILEMMA

MT. ROSKILL DRAINAGE Can a local authority alter the plans and specifications after a loan has been carried for a specific public work? The point arose at a meeting of the Mount Roskill Road Board last evening. when the engineer, Mr. John Dawson, reported that he was recasting the original scheme for draining the western area, for which a loan had been authorised. i He proposed to exclude a portion ; of the area and to run the drainage of | certain properties near the fire station | into an existing sewer, which disj charges into Manukau Harbour, inI stead of linking up with the Auckland ! intended. Before proceeding further, however, he submitted that any de- | parture from the original scheme might i lead to the Local Government Loans i Board insisting upon another poll of j ratepayers, and lie wanted the ques- ! tion settled at once. | He told of an interview he had with j the district engineer of the Public ! Works Department, who was of the opinion that if any amended scheme promised greater efficiency, at the same cost as the original scheme, the board should carry on, but he would not commit himself on the point as to whether a portion of the area could bo exchided from the Drainage Board’s system and drained into the 'Manukau. Mr. Dawson said that he was completely recasting the whole original scheme and “altering it out of all recognition.” The general opinion of the board was that it would be dangerous to make any alterations to the original scheme in- | volving the exclusion of any portion of ■ the area as submitted to the poll of ratepayers. The engineer remarked that the cost of draining the properties referred to ; into the Drainage Board's sewers would i not be much greater than into the i Manukau, and it was resolved thereI fore that the original plan be adhered 1 to. j The question was then asked by Mr. iS. I. Goodall: “How far can a scheme 'be recast without breaking faith with the ratepayers and the Loans Board ?” Mr. Dawson quoted the experience of the engineer for the Newmarket ; drainage scheme, who made a prelimj inary survey by inspection only and drew up an estimate. The application for a loan based on this estimate was granted by the Loans Board. Some time afterward the plans were varied, but the board had made no objections thereto. Mr. Dawson suggested that the Roskill case should be submitted to the Loans Board, which was a comparatively new body. and a definite ruling asked for. This course was ultimately adopted.