LAND DRAINAGE

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21802, 6 June 1936, Page 10

LAND DRAINAGE

ELLESMERE BOARD MEETS The members present at the monthly meeting of the Ellesjnere Lands Drainage Board were Messrs J. Sharp (chairman), H. J. Macartney, R. McLachlan, G. W. R. Osborne, F, Coop, W. Downey, and H. Pickering Mr E. C. McDermott interviewed the board concerning a drain running through his property at Halswell, and the chairman and Messrs Pickering and DoWney were asked to make an inspection and present a report. In a letter, the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) stated that he had confirmed an undertaking given by the previous Minister to provide a subsidy toward the cost of a proposed diversion cut from the Halswell river at Motukarara. The sum of £750 on a £ for £ basis would be provided in the estimates for this work.

The secretary was instructed to obtain a legal opinion as to the board’s powers to compel the cleaning of drains which were blocking water and affecting properties higher up. It was reported that the Banks Peninsula Power Board had written to the Minister for Public Works supporting the proposed permanent outlet scheme for Lake Ellesmere, on account of power interruptions due to swans flying against the board’s lines, particularly in the Kaituna area. Most of the trouble was caused, it was stated, whan the lake level was high. The secretary reported the credit balance to be £1094 8s 7d. The total expenditure on wages under the No. 5 scheme was £8844 7s lid. All work under the scheme had now ceased. Various drains had been cleaned, and the level of Lake Ellesmere on May 18 was one foot above lake datum. Further supplies of timber had been salvaged from the old culvert at Taumutu.