AUCKLAND DRAINAGE BOARD

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 155, 30 June 1916, Page 8

AUCKLAND DRAINAGE BOARD

I WORK DONE IN 1915-16. I SATISFACTORY FINANCES. EXPENDITURE OVER £430,000. A full report on the operations of the Auckland and Suburban Drainage Board was dealt with at a meeting of the Board on Wednesday, the Mayor of Auckland (Mr J. H. Gu'nson) presiding. The report which was drawn up by the Engineersecretary (Mr. 11. H. AVatkins) referred to the -reorganisation of the staff early in the year by combining the offices of engineer and secretary and the retention of the services of Mr. \V. E. Bush, the Board's engineer, as consulting engineer only. The Board's offices had also been removed from the Town Hall ; to Cleavc's Building, High Street. Dur- ] ing the year the Avondale Road District ; was brought within the scope of the ] Board's operations, which now covered j 15,320 acres, bearing a population of ] 107.054, and having a • capital . value of £20,507,312. The contribu- , tions from the local bodies for- the year j were assessed at £19,240, and £19,213 , was collected. The expenditure in the j Board's trust account was nowaa- t proaching £450.000, a loan of £100,000 ] having been raised in August at a net j rate of £5 3/3 per cent. The credit balance in hand on 'March 31 was £18,740. The Board -was empowered , to borrow up to £500,000, and £50,000 ; could still be raised oefore this limit ] was reached. It was estimated, however, that only one-half of this sum j would be required to complete the work , as originally authorised, i.e., -at a total -j cost of £175,000. Maintenance was proceeding satisfactorily, as were operations at the outfall works at Orakei. where the average daily discharge in , dry weather was .'5.750.000 gallons. The A only contracts in progress at the end of < the period were those for the construe- , tion and equipment of flic four lowlevel pumping stations, the plant for j which was expected to arrive before the | end of the current year. The principal other works remaining to be done on f March 31 were: Main sewer, section 8 j ( £5,250) and branch sewer No, S, Mount j Eden district ( £22,000). ( The report and balance-sheet were f adopted, together -with the estimates , for the current year. Members re- ( marked that the Board could congratu- ] late itself on the prospect of finishing all the works originally authorised for j £25,000 less than the sum authorised. It , was pointed out. however, that addi- c tional works authorised later would re- j quire further expenditure. The chair- : man pointed out that it would soon be , necessary to sell some more of the \ Board's debentures, as the works author- j ised would cost £5,300, and the cost of i the No. 8 branch would 'also have to be . provided for. ( The Epsom Road Board submitted de- < tails of a ventilating shaft and pipe , trap which it was proposed to erect at , the Board's manhole near Morrow i Street, at the Road Board's expense. Another letter was received from the , Mount Eden Borough Council urging the , Board to expedite trhc construction of branch sewer No. 8, from Meola Creek J to the borough boundary. Tho matter was referred to the AY6fT« Committee.