WATER RACE IN PAPARUA

Press, Volume C, Issue 29587, 9 August 1961, Page 12

WATER RACE IN PAPARUA

Committee To Administer A special committee will be formed to administer the northern water race in Paparua County. The race was changed recently from a stock water race to an irrigation race by the Paparua County Council. It flows 14 miles from the siltation pond at Halkett to Mr W. F. McArthur's farm at Harewood. At a recent meeting of council representatives and the public, six farmers said they would use the race to irrigate 500 acres. The meeting considered about five million gallons a day would be needed for irrigation out of the race system's daily intake of 30 million gallons. The chairman (Mr J. H. Weaver) said users would have to pay for the water and the council would open a special account. It was estimated bv the county clerk (Mr A. Kelly) that the cost of water for irrigation would be about £2 an acre a year. This would include the cost of altering and maintaining the race. The meeting proposed forming a committee of irrigators, a council representative, and a representative of the North Canterbury Catchment Board. The meeting also decided to ask the board to consider the cost to runholders of levelling land for irrigation. It was considered that runholders might find levelling work difficult unless the board, in their leases, provided a means of recovery for improvements. Mr Weaver told Monday evenings meeting of the council that the race flowed through light sandy country where irrigation had achieved "remarkable results.” “There is great scope for enlargement of the present scheme, which could well be the beginning of a develop- | ment of great importance to I the county,” said Mr Weaver.