COX'S CREEK DRAINAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 26, 31 January 1910, Page 6

COX'S CREEK DRAINAGE.

(To the Editor.) Sir,-—ln the press notices of the proceedings of Thursday's meeting of the City Council there appears a. report from the . City Engineer re the drainage of Cox's Creek. In it he cays, "He regards the cleaning out of Oox'e Creek itself ac a waste of money, as it was already cleaned by the tide." This statement, and others which I shall touoh on later, ie misleading and based on a wrong premise, that Grey Lynn Council's only object is to by ulterior methods gert; the assistance of the City Council in reclaiming the creek for a park. Now, Sir! I would like, through your valuable paper, to place tftie true facts of this "Ca/uae that needs assistance" before your readers. First of all, let mc state ■what is an undoubted fact, the flat area of Cox's Creek ie altogether insanitary and a menace to puiblic health. This fact has been brought under the notice of both the City Council and the Grey Lynn Council by the District Health Officer, and is painfully patent to any and every one who goes in that vicinity when the tide is low. I eubmit, Sir, tha,t the very first duty of a municipal body is to be careful of the health of the populace, and this is the feeling whidh, at the instigation of the writer, caused the Grey Lynn Borough Council to instruot the engineer, Mr. Wilson, to prepare plans for tie work, and also by deputation on several occasions to inteTview the City Council with the object of mutually considering the matter.

Briefly stated, the scheme proposed by the Grey Lynn Ooun-cil ie as follows:— That an invert sever be constructed, .by building two walls of totara twelve feet apart, to 'be constructed along such lines as will intercept the sewer outfaJls (eight in number—three in Grey Lynn, five in City). The present eewere to have tide doors to prevent the sea wateT backing up the sewers. The proposed culvert to bo constructed right out to the bridge and tfhe spa crater excluded from the creek excepting in the culvert. The wooden sides of the culvert will be raised above high water mark, at spring tide, and puddled on the back -with mud, etc., co as to be water-tight. By the means suggested you will readily see that the flats would coon dry up and the water, being confined to a narrow channel, -would have a chance to clean the creek, whan it certainly does not at present-, the statement of tie City Engineer to the contrary notwithstanding.

I may say the Grey Lynn Council have done all they can up to the present to bring "their drainage outfalls into a fairly sanitary condition, 'having caused all the eewers to flow direct into the tide, whereas the two main city eewers, one on Jervois estate, and the Vermontstroet sewer (these two sewers drain all that area of Jnnd from about the tramway barn to ißiehimond-road, bounded on one side by Ponsonby and .Tervois-roads, and by the Creek on the other) terminate, the former just below the estate boundary and the latter just clear of the Ma.rist Bros.' fence; nnd from these termini the sewage flows in natural open drains, which mostly are somewhat choked with growth, nnd become very offensive in this hot weather.

It is not for mc, fciir, to arrogate to myetrlf the duty of pointing out to the City Fathers What they should or should not do, but I would suggest that some of the money now being expended on •worka of much less importance to the welllbeing of the community might be spared to do this work, which would prove an inestimable benefit to all those residents of the portions of the city and Grey Lynn which are adjacent to Oox's Creek.

Again, the Engineer says, "no great ■benefit would be effected, from a health point of view." I will put forward no argument on this point, simply stating that Dr. Purdy, in a letter to the Grey Lynn Council, rend on Monday last, ■most emphatically declares this work to he of a (most urgent nature, and asks the Council to uee every endeavoiiT to have the drainage work undertaken at the earliest possible moment. I fancy, Sir, in matters affecting the (health oi the community, Dr. Purdy's opinion should carry the greater weight. Referring to the last part of the report, i.e., "the ultimate end was to provide a Grey Lynn Park," I would like to point out, that, even granting such would be the case—and I do not douibt it will be—oven then I say such a park will top of more value to the residents of Jervois Estate and all tfliat part of the city ifrom there out to the end of Jer-vois-road, than to those low-lying parts of Grey Lynn on the other side of the Crock, as there are more people living en the former area can reasonably be expected to live on Hie latter. Then the city has a park kno»vn as tlie Bayfield Park, beautiful and valuable as n. breathing space, but not level enough for cricket a-nd other gnmee. This park has a common boundary with Cox's Creek, and should the time ever arrive when the creek is reclaimed the Creek portion would 'become the playground, and Bayfleld Park a natural pavilion.

Summarised, tlhe history of the subject of this letteT is as follows: The Grey Lynn Council 'had for a long time communicated from time to time with the City Council over the matter, and were brought up with a round turn when the City Engineer submitted a scheme, which was to cost some £22,000. The Grey Lynn Council received eucih a shock that the matter -was dropped for some time. The writer, shortly after election, suggested tha.t the proper body to deal ■with this work was the Cox's Creek Domain Board. The advice of the borough eoKcitar wae sought, and tlhis was confirmatory; the Domain BoaTd opened up the whole affair again, and when a meeting was held of the two foodies, together ■with Drs. Purdy and Valintine, on the spot, the Grey Lynn Council understood the affair was settled. This was not 'tflie wise, for since that time the Oity Council has been approached •on two occasions to" try and arrange that the work should be commenced. One would almost think it was no affair of the Oity Council >what ibeoaime of the sewage as soon as it left the partially constructed sewers, nor over Tvhose property it ran, but I can tell you, Sir, that as far as members of the Grey Lynn Council are concerned, this matter is not going to drop, and until some imove is made by the Oity Council to Temedy the existing dangewus state of Cox's Creek, there ■will be no peace, so the sooner they recognise their lialbdlity the better for all concerned.—l am, etc., JAS. A. WARNOCK, Councillor, Grey iLynn.