DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. RANGITAIKI LAND DRAINAGE. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1923, TOGETHER WITH STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1923 Session I-II, C-11

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Session 11. 1923. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. RANGITAIKI LAND DRAINAGE. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1923, TOGETHER WITH STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 10 of the Rangitaiki Land Drainage Act, 1910.

Sir, — Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, sth June, 1923. I have the honour to submit herewith the report upon drainage operations in the. Rangitaiki Plains for the year ended 31st March, 1922, pursuant to the provisions of the Rangitaiki Land Drainage Act, 1910. As in the case of Hauraki Plains reclamation operations, a much greater amount of spoil was dredged during the year than in the preceding period, or about 14 per cent. The use of bigger, better, and more dredges has justified their cost, and will enable the fertile plains between the Whakatane and Tarawera Rivers to be completely drained in a shorter time than would otherwise be the case. The accompanying statement of cash transactions and balance-sheet shows the financial transactions for the year, and the position of the account as at the 31st March last. A plan showing operations is attached. I have. &C, The Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister of Lands. J. B. Thompson, Under-Secretary. REPORT OF CHIEF DRAINAGE ENGINEER. Sir — In accordance with the provisions of the Rangitaiki Land Drainage Act, 1910. 1 have the honour to submit my report for the year ended 31st March, 1923. Marked progress has been made during the period over all works, and a corresponding improvement is noticeable in the general development of the country affected. The dredging plant has been working at full capacity and has got through a creditable amount of work. Generally the district is going ahead rapidly, and a great future is predicted for this first-class area of land. A tendency to subdivide is noticeable, smaller holdings being sufficiently productive with the more intensive cultivation permissible. Dairying is becoming popular throughout the district, and the Tarawera Factory returns for the year ending 31st March were 300 tons cheese, and the amount paid bo suppliers £28,000, an increase of £7.000 over last year's payments. The Rangitaiki Factory turned out 553-J tons of butter and paid out £78,100, an increase, of £36,100 over last year's payments. The works are now being rapidly pushed on towards completion, a great deal of the operations now in hand being final improvements to existing work. The dredging in hand will be practically all completed during the coming period, and thenceforth the work will mostly consist of minor maintenance. Rainfall. —The total rainfall for the year was 42-29 in., the wettest month being January, 1923, with a fall of 5-74 in., and the driest July, 1922, fall 0-44 in. The average rainfall for the past five years was 46-89 in.

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Eastern District. All drains in this district have been periodically cleaned, and in some cases deepened, during the year, and are all in very fair order. The Eastern drain, from the Kopeopeo Canal southwards, was thoroughly cleaned and deepened, and is working well. The extra fall obtained through the operation of No. 17 dredge (Monighan) in the Orini Stream and deviations has been taken up in the Kopua drain, and a commencement made with. Lawson's drain. The surrounding country, which is of the finest land in the district, has benefited materially, and a much larger area has been cropped than previously. A hand-drain was run from the Te Rahu outfall, to the White-pine Bush to deviate the water from the Waioho Stream, and as soon as the country consolidates sufficiently tho Bay City dredge will be shifted across to widen and deepen this. The Priestman dredge working in the Kopeopeo deviation deepening, and the work done by the Monighan dredges in the Te Rahu, Mangaroa, and Whakaire Canal, have enabled fall to be taken up throughout the drains emptying into these cuts. Western District. A wonderful improvement is noticeable in the country between the Rangitaiki River and the Omeheu. This is due to the operations of Priestman dredge in the Omeheu Canal, enabling the fall to be taken up in all the smaller outlet drains emptying into this outfall. A gang is at present employed in taking up the extra depth obtainable in the Adjunct drain, and when this is completed this area will be in fair order. The other outfall drains here have been kept in good order and deepened where necessary. On completion of deviation in Tarawera River, extra depth was taken up in tho Tumurenui drain, a big improvement being noticeable. The Awakaponga and Collins drain required constant attention during the year owing to the abnormal growth of weeds. When the Priestman dredge which is starting on the Awakaponga Canal has completed the cut the maintenance work here will be considerably lightened. The Awarua and other outfalls on this side of Tarawera have required a fair amount of maintaining, but generally material improvement is expected with the completion of Awakaponga Canal. A flood-gate was erected at the old mouth of the Rangitaiki River, and this is working well, the water-level inside having been lowered averagcly 18 in. A start was made with a boulder groyne to straighten the mouth of the Tarawera River where it has deviated from the old channel in the sandhills, and when this is completed and the outlet confined to a straight channel it is hoped that the full benefits will be derived from the flood-gate on the old Rangitaiki River. Drudoes. Altogether seven dredges, comprising four Priestman, two Monighan drag-linos, and one Bay City walking-dredge have been continuously employed on the works. A total of 540,802 cubic yards was lifted during the period, covering a distance of 1,990 chains. Nearly all the repair work for these plants has been done in our own workshops and smithy at Thornton, and this has greatly lessened the delay experienced when work had to bo sent out of the district, and also the cost of the repairs. No. 3 Priestman dredge, one of the original purchases, is still in good order, but the pontoon will need replacing very shortly. During the period this dredge worked down Reid's Central drain deepening, then westwards along Kopeopeo outfall and back down Kopeopeo outfall deviation. The machine has now come up to the Kopeopeo outfall again, and after going a short way up the Western drain will work eastwards along that outfall. This will practically complete the dredging programme for this plant. A total of 107,742 cubic yards was excavated during tin; year. No. 4 Priestman dredge, on the Omeheu Canal, has been doing good work, a distance of 359 chains being dredged and 82,319 yards of spoil lifted. At tin- beginning of the period the dredge was working up to connect with Tengaroa drain, which she reached in July. The machine is now working downstream, and will continue through to the flood-gate on Tarawera River. No. 8 Priestman dredge has been employed on the Tarawera River taking off bends and building' a stop-bank on the eastern bank to prevent flooding. During the period a total of 119 chains was covered, and 48,584 yards lifted, and deposited to form a stop-bank. No. 9 Priestman dredge completed dredging in Section 109 drain early in the period, and after working down was put on to build a channel through the Koheka Lagoon, a distance of 30 chains. This necessitated the wattling of both banks of proposed cut and the formation of banks behind wattling, the main difficulty encountered being the obtaining of spoil to form banks. This work was completed late in the year, and a splendid job made of same. The dredge was then thoroughly overhauled preparatory to commencing work on the Awakaponga outfall and drain, of which at the end of the period she had completed 10 chains. A total of 87,835 yards of spoil were lifted, covering a distance of 264 chains. No. 17 Monighan dredge commenced working at the Whakatane River end of the Te Rahu Canal, completed a distance of 74 chains, and was then moved across country to the mouth of the Orini Stream, when work was commenced on the widening and deepening of this stream and its deviations. A distance of 117 chains has been covered to date. Altogether during the period a total of 191 chains was dredged and 76,088 yards of spoil were lifted. No. 18 Monighan dredge commenced working on the Te Rahu Canal, widening and deepening, and worked up the Mangaroa Canal, then down and up the Whakaire Canal, where the machine finished up late in the period. The dredge is now being moved down to the eastern end of Kopeopeo outfall to deepen this westwards until it connects up with Priestman No. 3. The Mangaroa, Whakaire, and Te Rahu Canals are now in splendid order, and no further trouble is expected from this quarter. Altogether the dredge covered a distance of 222 chains, lifting 56,487 cubic yards.

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Plan Showing Drainage and Road Operations, RANGITAIKI LAND DRAINAGE, under the provisions of the Rangitaiki Land Drainage Act, 1910.

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Bay City No. 21 dredge continued up tho Tarawera Western drain to its southern end, and was then moved down to commence deepening from the railway northwards. The dredge is now doing splendid work, and will continue down the Awaiti Road drain to connect up with Priestman No. 4, when it will be railed to the head of the Waioho —Te Rahu deviation. During the period a total of 81,747 yards was lifted, covering a distance of 332 chains. The following table shows the total amount excavated, with the cost per cubic yard, for the past ten years:— _ . _ . Cubic Yards. J°» **?. Cubic Yards. „_£-?£", Cubic Yard. Cubic Yard. 1913-14 .. .. 272,370 3-07 d. 1918-19 .. .. 229.659 5-70 d. 1-914-15 .. .. 268,760 348 d. 1919-20 .. .. 176,672 6-62 d. 1915-16 .. .. 224,740 4-54 d. 1920-21 .. .. 215,768 8-82 d. 1916-17 .. .. 261,751 4-36 d. 1921-22 .. .. 473,994 6-68 d. 1917-18 .. .. 320,614 3-72 d. 1922-23 .. . 540,802 8-13 d. ROADWORK. Very little roadwork has been done during the period under review. The Omeheu Road formation was continued from the end of Gow's Road to the railway, this section being practically completed at the end of year, and this will be continued from the railway to Cross Road. This will be an inestimable boon to the settlers in this district, saving, as it will, a considerable detour. Section 110 road has required surfacing at intervals owing to subsidence, and spoil for this was obtained from the Rangitaiki River bank. The approaches to the railway-road bridge across the Tarawera were formed during the period. Bridges. Two bridges gangs have been constantly employed over all portions of the district erecting bridges over dredge-cuts and main drains. Nine new pile bridges (30 ft. span) were erected, eight were dismantled and re-erected to allow passage of dredges, and thirty-six sill bridges of varying widths were placed. Stop-banks. The temporary stop-banks on the Tarawera River have been kept in good repair, and although in one or two places the river broke through no great damage was done. The erection of the permanent stop-banks is well in hand. Drains in Operation. The total length of drains in operation to date is as follows : Dredge cuts, 46 miles 12 chains ; main outlet drains, 99 miles 66 chains ; and road-drains, 28 miles 60 chains. Roads opened. The total length of roads opened is 108 miles. Workshops. A great deal of repairs is now done in the Thornton Workshop for the seven dredges in operation, and the small expenditure in establishing smithy has been found well justified. In addition all ironwork for bridges and general repair work is done locally. Buildings. All buildings in connection with works have been kept in good order, and repaired from time to time as required. Rolling-stock. The Thornycroft lorry has been in constant use, and has saved a considerable amount in haulage, &c, doing most of the. cartage of coal and supplies for dredges. It has lately been employed carting boulders for the Tarawera River groyne, and consequently much of its usual work has had to be curtailed. Plant and Machinery. No additions have been made under this heading, and plant still consists of four Priestman dredges, one Bay City walking land-dipper, two Monighan walking drag-line excavators, four coalpunts, three oil-launches, one towing-barge, and seven small boats and punts. Summary of Work done. M. oh. Cub. yd. New drains .. .. .. .. .. 5 66 37,495 Widening and deepening .. .. .. 35 20 120,550 Cleaning drains .. .. .. .. .. 73 00 Surfacing roads .. .. .. . . 1 20 Road-formation . . . . . . .. 0 75 Fencing .. .. .. .. . . 16 3 Spoil dredged.. .. .. .. .. . 24 X 70 540,802 Levels taken .. .. .. . . .. .. 117 26 Survey traverses .. .. . . .. 28 00 Pile bridges, 9 ; sill bridges, 36 ; flood-gate, 1.

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Proposed Works. Completion Tarawera Western and Awaiti Road drains by Bay City dredge ; completion Omeheu outfall; redredging Section 110 outfall, Seccombe's drain, and old Rangitaiki to flood-gate ; completion Orini River dredging to Eastern drain; dredging Te Rahu-White-pine Bush outfall; completion Awakaponga outlet to railway ; stop-banking Tarawera River to railway ; redredging Kopeopeo outfall; and general development and maintenance work. Works Expenditure. The total amount expended during the year on plant, tools, supplies, wages, &c, was £4-7,538. Day labour, including wages of dredge crews, amounted to £21,637, piecework contracts to £7,260, and hire of teams to £1,524. General. The local office at Thornton was busily engaged during the year. All vouchers for payment of wages, contract, and team hire are prepared at this office, and payment effected through the Imprest Account at Whakatane. All vouchers for payment of supplies, &c, are finally passed through the controlling office in Auckland, where the books recording the total expenditure are kept. The local officer in charge is Mr. J. H. Treseder, Land Drainage Engineer. 1 have, &c, 0. N. Campbell, The Under-Secretary for Lands, Wellington. Chief Drainage Engineer.

RANGITAIKI LAND DRAINAGE ACCOUNT. Receipts and Payments Account for Year ended 31st March, 1923. Receipts. £ s. d. Payments. £ s. d. Cash in Public Account, Ist April, 1922.. 2,369 11 1 Drainage - works, stop - banks, clearing Debentures issued under- liangitaiki Land channels, and other expenditure mci Drainage Amendment Act, 1913, and dental to drainage operations .. 33,707 4 7 Finance Act, 1921-22 .. .. 60,900 0 n Management expenses .. .. 1,590 13 11 " Thirds " and " fourths " .. .. 7 7 6 Travelling-expenses .. .. .. 65 7 1 Rents .. .. .. .. 11l 3 0 Legal expenses .. .. .. 121 2 3 Rates — £ s. d. Plant and machinery .. .. 467 7 8 1917-18 .. .. 33 10 9 Loose tools .. .. .. .. 73 1 10 1918-19 .. .. 88 19 10 Material and stores .. .. .. 5,684 14 1 1919-20 .. .. 105 1 11 Fuel .. .. .. .. 5,204 18 7 1920-21 .. .. 1,041 7 11 Rates refunded .. .. .. 72 7 2 1921-22 .. .. 3,094 5 4 Interest on debentures .. .. 15,943 15 3 1922-23 .. .. 138 15 8 Charges and expenses of raising loans .. 8 0 0 4,502 1 5 Cash in Public Account, 31st March, 1923 4,89110 7 £67,890 3 0 £67,890 3 0 Revenue Account for Year ended 31st March, 1923. Dr. £ s. d. Gr. £ B. d. To Interest on debentures .. .. 16,744 4 9 By Proportion of rates .. .. 15,854 8 1 Charges and expenses of raising loans 8 0 0 Lents .. .. .. .. 117 7 0 Head Office administration expenses.. 50 0 0 "Thirds" .. .. .. 7 7 6 Rates written oil .. .. .. 95 19 9 Interest on investments .. .. 40 13 6 Balance transferrer! to Drainage-works Account .. .. .. 878 8 5 £16,898 4 6 £16,898 4 6 Balance-sheet as at 31st March, 1923. Liabilities. £ s. d. Assets. £ s. d. Loan Accounl .. .. .. 420,900 o o Drainage-works—Expenditure in conLoan Redemption Account .. .. 16,441. 12 3 neotion therewith, including wages, Unpaid purchase-money—Sundry Natives 4in ;> 1 supplies, administration and engineerSuspense Account .. .. .. 88 8 11 Lng expenses, and depreciation of plant 368,533 11 0 Sundry creditors .. .. .. 3,966 5 0 Plarrt and machinery .. .. 32,767 15 10 Interest on debentures unpaid .. 4,081 410 Loose tools.. .. .. .. 684 13 0 Live-stock .. .. .. .. 156 16 0 Buildings .. .. .'. .. 1,501 5 6 Material and stores .. .. .. 994 17 5 Fuel .. . . .. .. 357 12 0 Investments —Public Trust Ollice . . 904 5 4 Land for Settlements Account .. 20 0 0 Sundry debtors, for rates .. .. 35,027 811 Sundry debtors, for rents .. . . 6 4 0 Sundry debtors, miscellaneous .. 21 14 0 Cash in tho Public Account, 31st March, 1923 .. .. .. .. 4,891 10 7 £445,867 14 1 £445,867 14 1 J. B. Thompson, Under-Secretary. J. H. O'Domnrll, Chief Accountant.

Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation, not given ; printing (U75 copies, inchruiirg plan), £20.

Authority: W. A. G. Skinner, Government Printer, Wellington.—l 923.

Price 9d.]