BOARD'S REQUEST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 263, 5 November 1937, Page 3

BOARD'S REQUEST.

ISSUES FOR DECISION. COSTS AND ADMINISTRATION. SIR. ERNEST DAVIS' COMMENT. The announcement of the personnel of the commission appointed by the Government to inquire into and report upon certain matters relating to the scheme of drainage recently adopted f<r the southern area of the proposed Auckland metropolitan drainage district was relerred to this morning by Sir Krnest Davis, chairman of the Auckland and SuburlHin Drainage Board. I he commission has been appointed at the request of the board."' said Sir l.i nest, 'for the purposes of defining the boundaries of the proposed new ('rainage district, determining the form of its administration, and allocating the costs ot the scheme upon the constituent authorities."

In commenting general]v on the drainage problem of Auckland. Sir Krnest state<l that tin* (jues»tion of proceeding with a comprehensive tscheme of drainage for the whole of the metroiiolit.au aien had been tinder consideration bv the board for the hist 10 years. Following u|ion an official tour abroad to study sewage disposal methods in other countries, the engineer to the board. Mr. H. H. Watkins. presented a report in 1f1.1'2, in which he recommended a scheme of drainage for an ultimate total area, of 12."i square miles, to be subdivided into two drainnge districts, designated respectively the southern area, with treatment works and an outfall at Brown's Island, and the northern area, with treatment works and an outfall at Ranoparo Point, allowance being tnade in the design of the scheme for an ultimate total population of «2."»,00ft forecast for the year 1970.

Proposed Extended District. The proposed new drainage district embraced a number of areas over which the board had no jurisdiction, but full opportunity had been given to all the other local authorities concerned to become fully informed as to every aspect of the proposed scheme and its probable bearing on the general interests of the community, both as to the public health and the financial considerations which would l>ecome involved in the project. Xutnerous conferences and meetings in this connection had been convened by the Drainage Board and held from time to time, but it had become apparent that there was no prospect of unanimity being reached by -the group of local authorities on the questions of areas, administration and finance, particularly in the ease of the authorities controlling the local districts in -the northern area.

Realising its responsibility as the principal drainage iiuthority iu the metropolitan district, and wishing to initiate a forward move towards finality, the board eventually resolved, said Sir Krnest, to disregard the northern area for the time being, and to concentrate its attention on the portion of the scheme of drainage for the southern urea in which the board's present district would lie incorporated. Additional investigations were then carried out in respect of the outfall proposed to be constructed at Brown's Island, and following upon a critical examination of the relevant report, the scheme of drainage for the southern area was adopted by the board, and the consent of the Aucklnnd Harbour Board to the construction of the outfall had since been obtained. It would be understood, therefore, that the inquiry of the commission would relate only to the issues to be determined for the southern area.

Bill This Session. "It is particularly gratifying to me." added Sir Krnest, "as I am sure it will be to all the local authorities concerned, that the Government lms been pleased to accede to the request of the board, and that the commission is to bold its inquiry and present its findings in ample time to enable the board to complete the local bill proposed to lie introdu-cd to Parliament during the latter halt of the present session, with a view to obtaining the legislation required to enable the board to proceed with the scheme. The opinions of the board on the matters to be den It with bv the commission will be submitted in a document which is being drafted by a sub-committee of the board.

"There now appears to be some likelihood of this important metropolitan work being commenced early next year. The carrying out of this will determine the sewage disposal problem of the principal portion of the metropolitan district, and afford a very considerable amount of employment in the district for the next four or five years."