H.—43

11

are, for the most part, mutually antagonistic, so far as this question is concerned. The district of the Dunedin Drainage Board extends only a small distance into the watershed of the Kaikorai Valley—that is to say, although parts of the Boroughs of Mornington, Maori Hill, Green Island, and Roslyn are within the Dunedin Drainage District, the Drainage Board has very little power over those parts that are in the Kaikorai watershed, as by section 25 of " The Dunedin Drainage Act Amendment Act, 1902," the power of the Board to rate those parts was taken away. The Dunedin Drainage Board could, no doubt, manage the drainage of the Kaikorai Valley in addition to its own particular duties if proper power were granted; but it appeared that this would not be at all popular with the Kaikorai people, who prefer to manage their own affairs. In any case there would have to be proper representation granted on the Board to the people of Kaikorai, and no doubt the main interests of the Dunedin Drainage Board lie altogether in another direction, and I am afraid, therefore, that if the drainage of the Kaikorai Valley were placed under the Board it would not result very satisfactorily. I was solemnly assured that the Boroughs of Maori Hill, Mornington, and Roslyn had come to an absolute and unanimous agreement that their sewage and drainage should be dealt with jointly by them on the septic-tank system, as already indicated, and that consequently they did not want to have anything to do with any other authority or Drainage Board, and that such a Board was not necessary, so far as they were concerned; yet towards the conclusion of the inquiry the Borough of Maori Hill went altogether back upon this agreement. They then contended that their drainage could be taken by the Dunedin City drainage system, and that they had entered into negotiations with the Drainage Board to take their drainage. If this were done it would not come into the Kaikorai Stream at all. It is quite possible that their sewage can be taken that way, but this does not affect the question very much, as the area of the Borough of Maori Hill in the Kaikorai watershed is very small, and up to the present time the Dunedin Drainage Board has refused to take them in and provide for their drainage. These facts show that some of these bodies hardly know their own minds, and that, as any general agreement between them is apparently hopeless, some paramount controlling authority is required. For these reasons, therefore, and although I regret having to suggest the creation of any additional local authority, I feel compelled in this case to recommend the creation of a River and Drainage Board to manage the Kaikorai Stream and the general drainage of the watershed of the Kaikorai Valley. There really ought to be one local authority for the whole valley, not five or six as at present, and it may be that the creation of a United River and Drainage Board would assist in the ultimate creation of one large comprehensive borough to take in all the present ones, and also the duties of the proposed Drainage Board. Be this as it may, it is, I think, quite apparent from the facts of this case that some controlling body must be constituted. It is therefore recommended, — (1.) That a River and Drainage Board should be constituted, in which the stream and its tributaries should be vested, and that this Board should be empowered to manage the sewage and drainage of the whole of the watershed of the Kaikorai Valley, and that the small piece of the Dunedin Drainage District within this watershed should be taken from such district. This will not affect the Dunedin Drainage Board, as it has no power to rate that area. (2.) The Board should consist of eight members, to be appointed directly by the local authorities concerned from time to time—viz., two each to be appointed by the Roslyn and Green Island Borough Councils, and one each to be appointed by the Mornington and Maori- Hill Borough Councils, the Taieri County Council, and the Dunedin City Council (as representing the abattoirs), such nominated members to remain members only so long as they are members of the Council which has nominated him. This, I gather, would be much more satisfactory to the parties than the election of the members by the ratepayers,