MINING DRAINAGE BOARDS.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 412, 25 November 1868, Page 2

MINING DRAINAGE BOARDS.

An important Act for mining districts has been passed in the last session of the Assembly, providing for the drainage of lands for purposes of gold mining. It is called " The Gold Mining Claims Drainage Act, 1868," and provides that any part of the colony lying within any proclaimed goldfleld may, under tho Act, he constituted a mining drainage district. Any such district can he proclaimed by the Governor, upon a petition being presented to him signed by a majority of persons being holders of miners' rights, and occupying for mining purposes, or employed in mining upon waste lands of the Crown*. Miners who object to any such drainage district can draw up a counter petiton and trausmit it to the Warden. Whenever the Governor has been safcr isfied that the petition is correct, it lg lawful for him to appoint for such dia-

trict, from the persons occupying for mining purposes the waste lands of the Crown within the district, a Mining Drainage Board, consisting of not less than three nor more than five members. The powers granted to Drainage Boards may be summarised as follows: —Power to make by-laws for the districts for which they are appointed, to revoke and amend such by-laws, but not to affect any right, interest, liability, or obligation existing at the time of making thereof', and such by-laws may be made for any of the following purposes:—For enforcing and regulating the drainage of quartz reefs and of alluvial mining claims occupied under any Aci passed, or to be passed, regulating mining for gold on waste lands of the Crown, or other lands, or lauds held under mining or mineral leases ; and shall have power to levy rates for the carrying out of necessary drainage operations, and to make payment out of the rates so levied to the persons they employ to carry out the works. They are also empowered to determine upon what conditions, in what casein, and at what rates persons occupying land for mining purposes shall contribute towards the expense of raising. lifting, or removing water from any portion of a gold field by means of appliances. The meaning of this clause is, that in a case where a number of claims are flooded, or the ground is naturally wet, and one claim puts on machinery to drain the ground, so that the neighbouring claims are benefited, the cost of maintaining the machinery shall be equally borne by all parties who are so benefited, and in the proportions in which they reap advantage therefrom. This the Board shall have power tu determine ; and they, further, have power to levy rates for the payment of their officers. All rates and charges payable under any by-law of any Drainage Board can be sued for by the clerk of the Board, and recovered in the summary way before any Justice of the Peace.