DRAINAGE PLANS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 248, 1 August 1941, Page 6

DRAINAGE PLANS

ASHBURTON-HINDS DISTRICT. REPORT HAS BEEN COMPLETED DECISIONS OF COUNTY COUNCIL

The District Public Works Engineer (Mr T. G. Beck) wrote to the Ashburton iCountv Council this morning stating that the report on the AshbiirtonHindf? drainage scheme bad been torwarded to tile Public Works Department, Wellington. The completion ot the report on the control work in tlm Hinds River had been held up, but the work oft it Was being pushed ahead with all possible speed. It Was stated that the report had been asked for five or six years ago. There were present at the meeting Messrs S. P. Taylor (chairman), H. J. Crothers, F. Franipton, A. Thug, C. A. Campion, J. Carr, W. G. Gallagher, Ho C. B. With ell, H. H. Hood and N. S. Turton. The financial statement showed that there was a credit balance of £3715 14s lOd, and main highways subsidies due totalled £2267. ‘At a meeting of ratepayers of the Ashburton River District hold on July 14, at Ashburton, the Council’s decision that the Government’s offer of a subsidy of £2 for £1 should be accepted for the conviction of the work, was submitted and approved unanimously,” reported the chairman (Mr S. P. Taylor) at the meeting of the County Council to-day.

“A resolution was also passed recommending the Government to investigate the possibility of carrying out the work by contract, and a vote of thanks was passed to the Council for calling the ratepayers together and discussing the matter with them. 1 have accordingly advised the Minister of Public Works, and Mr-T. D. Burnett, M.P., of the acceptance of their terms, and have also requested that the work be put in hand at the earliest possible date. With the assurance of the Minister of Public Works that the work will be completed without any further contribution than this £9OOO the apportionment of the cost will be:-—Total cost, £55,087; Government’s proportion, £40,587 ; Council’s proportion, £14,500. This is equal to a subsidy of approximately £4 for £1 and must be considered satisfactory. ■ , , “It must also be borne in mind that the Government will undertake at no additional cost a survey and report of the work which is necessary in the upper regions, and oft receipt of this report we will he in a position to consider What steps are necessary to control all branches'of the Ashburton River.” ... The Engineer (Mr H. A. Yezey) reported on water supply, roads and reserves. . , . .. The annual report of the County Council’s Industrial Union was received. . It was stated that shift work lor drivers had been permitted after fre-qti-ant representations, and this would mean that machines would not bo idle for such long hours as had been the case in tiro past The County Seepage Association wrote thanking the Council for the assistance it had given in recent negotiations with the Government. The Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. J. (G. Barclay) wrote that his attention had been drawn to representations jnade by the Council to the need tor more supplies of lime in the County, and he added that a quarry licence had been issued to a Christchurch firm in respect of a site at Mount Somers. The firm had given up the lease, however, and the site was again to he offered by tender. Members* stated that this district was bringing in lime from distant places, yet it had deposits that were limber in quality than any other m the Dominion, the deposit just waiting development. „ , , It was stated that, about £4OOO had been spent recently on the works at Mount Somers, where an output ot about 20 tons, an hour was expected shortly, and that the Government was interested in these works.