ELLESMERE DRAINAGE BOARD MEETS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21648, 5 December 1935, Page 4

ELLESMERE DRAINAGE BOARD MEETS

PROPOSED DIVERSION OF HALSWELL RIVER The Ellesmere Lands Drainage* Board met recently with Mr John Sharp presiding. Other present were Messrs H. J. Macartney, R. McLachtan, G. W. R. Osborne, F. Coop, W. Downey, and H. Pickering. The secretary 'Mr G. L. Comer) reported a credit balance at the beginning of the month of £358 5s 7d. The receipts included a payment of £9l 5s 7d, the cost of opening Lake Forsyath. Twenty men under the No. 5 scheme would be employed from Monday in improving the Haiswell river in the Tai Tapu area. The outlet to Lake Ellesmere at Taumutu was still open, the stream being about three chains wide. The lake was eight inches below datum level. The main business of the meeting was discussion of the proposed cut for the Haiswell river at Motukarara. The board agreed to find £lO towards the interest and sinking fund to meet the loan to be raised by the ratepayers benefiting from the work. A conference had been held during the month of representatives from the Wairewa and Springs County Councils and the board, and the extent of the assistance to be given by the former two local bodies was under consideration. A proposal was made to make a slight adjustment to the county boundary, while there was also the question of control and maintenance of a traffic bridge which would have to be built over the diversion cut. The board's sub-committee which is conducting the negotiations was given power to have plans and specifications prepared if the negotiations were satisfactorily concluded before next meeting, and if the ratepayers approved of the scheme.