RANGITAIKI DRAINAGE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1196, 3 August 1911, Page 6

RANGITAIKI DRAINAGE.

The first roporfc upon the drainage operations in the Raugitniki Plains since.the management of the undertaking was handed over to the Minister for Lands, was presented to Parliament yesterday. Tho total area of tho land within the district which was under tho jurisdiction of the former Drainage Board is 87,000 acres, held under various forms of tenure, ranging from Native leaseholds to European freeholds, of which about .39,242 acres, valued at JCSS.2SO, owned or occupied by b$ ratepayers, were affected by the Drainage Board's operations. Under the Act the whole of the area is liable for the cost of the drainage operations, if it can be shown that benefit is derived from them. Power was given to the Minister for Lands by tho Act of last session to raise not more than JSO.OOO for drainage purposes, and to levy a rate upon tho district to pay the interest and tho sinking fund. A general scheme of operations was prepared, and in- January, 1911, a contract was let to Messrs. Rich and Jeffreys, civil engineers, of Auckland, for the excavation of a canal through the Ohororo Bond of tho Rangitaild River, to enable a straight cut to be made from the river to the sea. The amount of tho contract was £11,123, and the work is to be completed in Vi months. By March 31 only preliminary work had been accomplished by the Department of Lands, but it had well in train the many operations that are needed to insure the proper and systematic drainage of the Ra.ngitaiki Plains. The statement, of accounts attached to tho report shows that there is a balance to the credit of the account of of iwhich ,£25,000 represents tho advance made by the State Guaranteed Advances Office.