DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY SWAMP DRAINAGE REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1946

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1946 Session I, C-04

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1946 NEW ZEALAND

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY SWAMP DRAINAGE REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1946

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 13 of the Sivamp Drainage Act, 1915

Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, 28th June, 1946. Sir, — In pursuance of section 13 of the Swamp Drainage Act, 1915, I have the honour to forward the report of the Chief Drainage Engineer covering operations on lands proclaimed under the Swamp Drainage Act and amendments. I have, &c, R. G. Maomorran, Under-Secretary for Lands. The Hon. the Minister of Lands.

REPORT OF THE CHIEF DRAINAGE ENGINEER Sir, — I have the honour to submit my annual report for the year ended 31st March, 1946, on the areas proclaimed under the Swamp Drainage Act, 1915, and its amendments. Kaitaia Drainage Area (61,430 Acres), Mangonui County Work in this district has been limited to maintenance .of drains and some landdevelopment operations. As the result of subsidence of the peat swamp, most of the drains now require widening and deepening, and this is work that can be carried out economically with a drag-line excavator. A machine of this type is also required for reconstruction of stop-banks on the Awanui River and foreshore, which are being undermined by erosion and wave action. The exceptionally dry conditions caused several swamp fires this year, some of which were troublesome and costly to control. During the year all maintained drains were cleared of growth, and Spains Drain was deepened from the Waipapakauri Road to Spains Road to improve the drainage of the Awanui Settlement. A new drain was constructed from Puckeys Drain eastwards to drain a low-lying area in the vicinity of the Wireless Road. A new flood-gate was installed on the west side of the Awanui River as an additional outlet for the farms at the southern end of Unahi Road. An old floodgate on the Whangatane Spillway was replaced by a new structure, and new end walls were constructed for the floodgate on the outlet of Hanlons Drain. Repairs to the Whangatane Spillway are to be carried out as soon as the materials are available. The rainfall during the year was 52-42 in.

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Expenditure and Rates. —Expenditure on maintenance for the year amounted to £2,559. Kates struck : Special, £2,734 ; general, £2,133. Rates collected, including arrears : Special, £3,395 ; general, £2,755. Rebates per cent.) allowed on special rates (1945-46) on account of prompt payment, £5BO. v Maori rates struck (gross) were £325. Of this amount, £126 has been paid, and rebates allowable amount to £25. Hikurangi Drainage Area (50,000 Acres), Whangarei County No work was carried out in this area. Waihi Drainage Area (20,000 Acres), Tauranga County In January a second-hand light excavator purchased from the War Assets Realization Board was sent to the district after overhaul at the Kerepeehi Workshops. Most of the canals and drains require reconstruction, and there are several years' work ahead for this machine in the district. It is at present reconstructing the Waerenga Road Draim after driving sheet-piling and excavating foundations for the drainage pumpingstation now being erected at the junction of Waerenga and Tainui Roads. This station, which will eventually drain an area of 785 acres, will be equipped with one axial-flow low-lift pump of 5,000-gallons-per-minute capacity, and provision is being made for this pump to be duplicated later. The first excavations for the suction bay of this pumpingstation revealed liquid mud of considerable depth underlying a hard marine deposit, and after further investigations it was decided to change the site of the station to reduce the cost of foundations, and the work is now proceeding satisfactorily. Drain-maintenance work in this district is being carried out in conjunction with development work on Crown lands. Contractors cleaned 29 miles 33 chains, and daywage workers cleaned 7 miles 10 chains of main drains. During the late summer a considerable amount of time was occupied in fighting swamp fires. Expenditure and Rates. —Expenditure on maintenance for the year amounted to £1,092. Rates struck : Special, £747 ; general, £1,536. Rates collected, including arrears : Special, £455 ; general, £1,262. In this district' the statutory period of six months and fourteen days during which rates may be paid without the imposition of 10 per cent, penalty does not expire until 15th April, 1946. Receipts up to 31st March, 1946, only are included in this report. Poukawa Drainage Area (15,567 Acres), Hawke's Bay Maintenance work at a cost of £428 was carried out during the year, and 5 omprised the cleaning of 273 chains of canals and 225 chains of drains. I am again indebted to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Napier, for the preparation and inspection of drain-cleaning contracts and payments made to contractors. Rates struck : Special, £1,037 ; general, £323. Rates collected, including arrears : Special, £734 ; General: £228. No progress has been made regarding Maori rates in this area. The amounts shown as expenditure on maintenance may be subject to slight variation on completion of accounts. I have, &c, E. Taylor, Chief Drainage Engineer. The Under-Secretary for Lands, Wellington. STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS A statement of accounts is published in parliamentary paper 8.-l [Pt. IV]. Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation, not given ; printing (523 copies), £3 15s.

By Authority: E. V. Paul, Government Printer, "Wellington.—l 946. Price 3d.]

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