Council To Ask Golf Club To Assist With Cost Of Stormwater

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 36, 11 May 1965, Page 2

Council To Ask Golf Club To Assist With Cost Of Stormwater

Taupo Borough Council has agreed to ask the Taupo Golf Club if it would be prepared to eontribute toward the cost of extending the stormwater pipes from the AC Baths across the club's links. The cost is estimated at £600 and the council made this decision after receiving a letter from the club which said the committee was concemed that the future run-off from the catchment area would create a greater nuisance as time went by.

The club said it had noted with some concern that the stormwater from an area adjacent to the third hole had been collected by means of a system of cesspits and pipe drain and that the drain had been led from the AC Road on to the course, by means of 18in. pipes. "In times of rain and water run-off, the surface water is discharged by means of an open-ended pipe into a depression which crosses the third fairway, and the water aliowed to flow across our property until it eventually disappears from our boundary in the vicinity of the AC Stream. "The collection of the surface water by this means, and the discharging of it in a concentrat«d flow from the pipes onto our course is the cause of considerable concern, in that it makes the affected area unplayable, allows silt and pumice to be deposited across the course adding to onr maintenance and expense and could also cause erosion. "We feel that as time goes on and the catchment area becomes more developed, there will be a bigger concentration of water in time of rain and that this nuisance will thus becom'e worse and the committee is quite concerned about the position. 44 We are of the view, therefore, that the position should be remedied forthwith by your council. "It is suggested that the proper remedy is for you to continue the pipes across our property by means of a properly constructed piped drain which will lead the water directly into the AC Stream. We would oL course require all proper safeguards to ensure that the course was interfered with as little as possible, and any damage caused by the laying of the drain made good in a proper and effieient manner. "You would probably need to create a drainage easement over the course for this purpose, but there should be no difficulties in

this regard, and we should be pleased to have your views on this suggestion as soon as possible." Was the council justifled in asking the club to pay for stormwater disposal, asked Cr D. D. Davis. It did not seem a normal procedure. The town clerk, Mr K. G. Winton, said that the club operated on council land, which it leased, the water flowed along a natural water course, and in any case, the club did not pay rates. Cr C. J. N. Newbold said that unless the club's contribution was large, he would not be happy with the council spending any money at all on the work. The council agfeed to advise the club of its decision and also to exelude from the club's lease an area of land in the vicinity of Rifle Range Road and Tauhara Road intersection which is used as a soakage pit. The club felt this land was no longer of any practical use to it because of the council's operations.