Local Control Of Irrigation Wanted

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32266, 8 April 1970, Page 10

Local Control Of Irrigation Wanted

The Malvern County Council would be looking into the economics of piping its stock water supply in the light of the high maintaining its present system of 800 miles of open water races, said Mr D. W. Mulholland, when the irrigation committee of the Water Allocation Council heard submissions at Darfield yesterday. Mr Mulholland was replying to a committee member, Mr A. C. Begg, who said that the estimated intake of 60 cusecs of water seemed ample for a stock supply. Mr Mulholland agreed with Mr Begg that piping the stock water would make more water available for a farm irrigation scheme, as it was obvious that there were considerable losses with the open race system. Submissions from the council and from the Northern Central Plains Irrigation Committee asked that control of any irrigation scheme should be vested in the councils affected, with user representation. The irrigation committee considered that the scheme should be planned by the Department of Agriculture. The council said the preliminary work should be the responsibility of the Government. “The Malvern County Council is opposed in principle to

the establishment of any ad hoc local authority within the county where it would be possible for the council to carry out its duties,” said the county chairman (Mr C. O. Redfern), in the council’s submissions. “The council appreciated that the planning and construction of a major irrigation scheme is beyond its resources, and considers that this work must be a Government project.” The council, said Mr Redfern, now had 800 miles of water races, and asked that it be given the opportunity to consider acceptance of responsibility for the maintenance, operation and administration of an irrigation scheme on the north central plains, in association with other counties concerned. If it was decided to have an irrigation authority, the council considered that there should be direct water user and local body representation. Existing county water race reserves could possibly be used to accommodate some of the major irrigation channels and gravel reserves could be used for water storage, said Mr Redfern. As roads, reserves and water races could be affected, the council should have a direct voice on any irrigation authority. Mr Redfern traced discussions which led up to the establishment. With the cooperation of the Ministry of Works, Department of Agriculture and the Winchmore Irrigation Research Station of a demonstration irrigation

farm on the 268-acre property of Drumnacott Farms, Ltd, near Darfield.

“The purpose of the demonstration farm was to stimulate interest in irrigation by showing the effects of flood irrigation on both pastures and crops,” said Mr Redfern. “Already, this objective has been reached with the formation in November of the Northern Central Plains Irrigation Committee. “This committee has canvassed the farmers, and obtained a 76 per cent vote in favour of an irrigation feasibility survey being carried out by the Ministry of Works over about 200,000 acres in parts of Paparua, Ellesmere and Malvern counties.”