DAY'S BAY DRAINAGE

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 78, 29 September 1934, Page 10

DAY'S BAY DRAINAGE

BOARD AND COUNCIL

STATEMENT BY MR. HOCGARD

With reference to the question of the drainage at Day's Bay the chairman of the Hutt County Council (Mr. D. E. Hoggard) stated today that no communication had yet been received by the council from the Board of Health. ' The matter was discussed by the Board of Health at a meeting on September 12, and the following resolution was unanimously carried: — "The board views the provision of proper drainage at Day's Bay as a matter of urgency in the interests of public health, and resolves that if the Hutt County Council will not take steps to supply efficient drainage tho board will immediately take into consideration the use of the powers it possesses under section 143 of the Health Act, which enables the board to itself carry out the works at the cost of tho local authority." ' ~ • i "I was under the impression," saut Mr. Hoggard, "that the Board of Health recognised that it was financially impracticable to install a sewerage system in Day's Bay until adequate rating powers were given in respect of Williams Park and Croydon School, which comprise approximately 90 per cent, of the area of the bay, and which arc exempt from rates, or aro virtually so. The sanitary position at Day's Bay has been grossly misrepresented. Most of the residents have septic tanks, and the minority dispose or their nightsoil by burying it on then own properties. Except where the sections are very small, this can be done without any offence. "1 have never received, any complaint that nightsoil is being emptied on the beach, and if I had any- evidence of that I should see that steps were taken to prosecute the offender. The effluent of some of tho septic tanks finds its way into the streams. In some instances this has been done in pursuance of an express grant of easement made by the Wellington City Council with the approval of the Health Department. Notices are displayed on the beach, warning people that the streams which cross the beach are polluted. ~ , "The Hutt County Council has offered to pay half the cost of culverting the affected streams down to the high-water mark," Mr. Hoggard continued. "The beach is the freehold property of the Wellington City Council, and as the people who frequent it are almost exclusively residents of the city it is only fair that the City Council should bear the other half of the cost. "A Bill is before Parliament to restrict the rating exemptions from the Hutt .County Council, and the Wellington City Council is opposing the Bill, but as the matter is sub judice I must not discuss its merits. I can say, however, that if the Bill becomes law a large obstacle in tho way of establishing a sewerage system at Day's Bay will be eliminated." Mr. Hoggard mentioned that out of a total of 600 acres, the approximate area of the land in Day's Bay, only about 60 acres were fully rateable. In the whole of the Hutt County there was approximately 280,000 acres, and moro than 100,000 acres of that was totally exempt from rates. Of the area classed as rateable, a portion was virtually exempt from rates by reason of tho power given by section 52 of the Valuation of Lands Act to the Valuer^General to place .an arbitrary valuation on lands owned by certain bodies and used for certain purposes.