DECISION CRITICISED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 186, 8 August 1930, Page 5

DECISION CRITICISED.

CITY COUNCIL ATTITUDE.

"OPPOSED EVERY BIG SCHEME."

"I am surprised at the attitude of the City Council in opposing the formation of what bids fair to be an addition to community services," said Mr. E. H. Potter. '*I am referring to the institution of a metropolitan water hoard scheme." The new board, Mr. Potter continued, was calculated to supply an area of over 700 square miles. With the spread of population the problem of supplying water had become one of both town and country, and the proposed board would, he affirmed, render greater service than the Power Board or Harbour Board. It would have to be considered in relation to the population area, to industrial, farming and other interests. In supporting the scheme, the provincial committee considered that populated districts would help the more scattered parts, and with the Power Board would materially assist in the development, and be a factor in the increase of the production power of the area referred to as South Auckland. This district would extend above Mercer and Cambridge, as the board decided. The scheme would provide enough water for the northern districts without having to be dependent at all on Lake Takapuna, which at present served the North Shore. "Further," continued Mr. Potter, "the source of the water is unlimited. The cost of the proposal will not be more | than £700,000, and the revenue from the sale of water will meet all expenses. Again, the price of water will be reduced as the quantity consumed increases." A quotation had been received by the committee for pipes delivered on the site. The pipes, he said, would be made in the Dominion and would be of sufficient bore to deliver 15 million gallons a day. "This point also is to be stressed," Mr. Potter added. "Any local authority may join the board, or supplement its supply from the board which will relieve it from any further capital outlay in the extending of the plant. Modern methods of chlorification and filltration will be installed. "There Is no intention on the part of the board to supply the city area or consumers, and the bill will be amended to allow for that. Reference has been made to the inclusion of the local bodies in the board's district. A number of these have made a definite move, and provision has been made that the local bodies may include the whole or a part of their territory as they may desire." Mr. Potter added that the contention of the commission was that water could be reduced in price. Since the commission sat, there had been an increase of 25 per cent. Any further extension of the Waitakere or Hunua schemes was estimated by the commission to cost over £2,700,000. A further report on the scheme by an engineer from Australia employed by the Auckland City Council, stated that the scheme would cost at least three millions, and perhaps more. It would make the use of water prohibitive and would not serve the whole district even then.