15

D.—6

makariri River Trust," and should consist of six local representatives elected from the district and also of two Government representatives called " River Commissioners " appointed for three years by the Minister of Public Works, one of the Government representatives being preferably a Stipendiary Magistrate or some person fully qualified and experienced in local-body work, and the other an engineer with expert knowledge of river-control. Your Commissioners further recommend that the duties of this controlling authority be clearly set out as follows : — (1.) To have detail surveys, plans, estimates, and specifications made for carrying out the works recommended above. These plans shall be approved by the Government nominees on the Trust. (2.) To submit the proposals to the ratepayers and obtain their authority by poll to raise the necessary loan. (3.) To carry out the necessary work, either by contract or direct labour, in as expeditious a manner as possible. (4.) To maintain the works efficiently, and to do whatever extra work may be necessary to improve the regimen of the river and secure the fullest protection for the district from floods. (5.) To take all necessary observations and keep records that will assist in the study of the hydrology of the river, changes in its regimen, heights and duration of floods, &c. The Trust should have all the powers of a local body, and, further, should have absolute jurisdiction over the channel and banks of the river, inasmuch as proposals for all drains emptying into the river, all locks, tide-gates, bridges, ferries, wharves, &c, shall be submitted to and approved by the Trust before being carried out. No planting or cutting of willows should be done except by the Trust. Government nominees : The River Commissioners may be appointed as Government representatives on. any River Trust similarly constituted, and they shall report progress to the Minister of Public Works after each meeting of the River Trust. It should also be their duty to see that all valuable data are collected and forwarded to Wellington for embodying in the Government archives. This our report, which has been unanimously adopted, we have the honour to respectfully submit for the consideration of Your Excellency, together with the transcript of the evidence taken by us in the course of our investigations, and the following plans (not printed) illustrating our report: — Plan No. 1 : Early map of Waimakariri River and district (date uncertain). Plan No. 2 : Recent survey and levels of Waimakariri River and branches, from the Sheffield-Oxford railway-bridge down to the sea. (Three sheets.) Plan No. 3 : Cross-sections A to H of river. Plan No. 4 : Longitudinal section of portion of river (plotted from crosssections, plan No. 3). Plan No. 5 : General plan of lower portion of river. Plan No. 6 : Plan showing proposed rating-area. Plan No. 7 : Sketch of bank-protection proposed. Also table showing imports and exports (by water) to and from Kaiapoi, June, 1910, to May, 1914. Given under our hands and seals this sth day of March, 1921. F. W. Furkert, Chairman. Ashley J. Hunter, } n w ri XT. I Commissioners.