WATER EXTENSION SUPPLY FOR THE CITY.

Evening Star, Issue 4203, 16 August 1876, Page 3

WATER EXTENSION SUPPLY FOR THE CITY.

At to-day’s meeting of the Waste Lands Board, the Dunedin Corporation .unsuccess fully opposed an application, partly heard at the last meeting of the Board, to purchase lands held under agricultural leases in block 3, North Harbor and Blueskin District, and which they wished reserved for the purposes of an extended water supply. The attached correspondence was read and considered at the same time :

Town Clerk’s Office, Dunedin, August 10. The Provincial Secretary of Otago. Sib, — I have the honor, by instruction of the Water Supply Committee, to inform the Government that the City Council, being desirous of extending the water supply to the City aud suburban districts, recently obtained from Hr George Gordon, Chief Engineer! of the Victorian Water Supply Department, a comprehensive report on the subject of said extension ; copy herewith enclosed. A reference -thereto will show that Mr Gordon recommends that the Waitati stream should be made available for the extended supply, and the Corporation is now taking immediate steps in that direction. It is found that, in order to provide a sufficient catch-water area and to construct a water-race, certain lauds (those asked to be reserved from sale consequent upon Mr Gordon’s report), the fee simple of whioh land at present remains in the Crown, will be required. The parcels of land referred to are held under agricultural leases, and the lessees have lately renewed thejx application for permission to purchase their holdings. The Council ventures, on public grounds, respectfully to urge that the lauds recited in the schedule should not be sold or farther alienated; and it is hoped that tho Government may, on this representation made in the public inte&st, see fit to recommend the Waste Lands Board accordingly to decline the application recently submitted by the leaseholders to purchase their holdings, as compliance with such applications would seriously affect the public interest as regards the future supply of water to the large population located and yet to be located in the City and suburbs. J. M. Massbt, Town Clerk,. Provincial Secretary's Office, Dunedin, August 15. Sir,—l have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th inst., No. 4,108, In which yon inform the Government that the City Council is desirous of extending its water supply, in which yon also refer to certain lands, the fee simple of which is at present in the Crown, and iu whffSi yon ask the Government to recommend the Waste Land Board to decline the applications recently submitted by the leaseholders thereof to purchase their holdings. In reply I have to inform yon that your letter has formed a subject of careful consideration be the Government, and that it cannot see its way to comply with your request, as in its opinion the applicants referred to have qualified themselves to become the freeholders of the land in question, having complied with the conditions necessary for that purpose, seeing that the land is not auriferous, and that it is not required lor public purposes contemplated by tho sections under which the leases were granted,' and tho applications arc made. Although the fee simple of the land is at present In the Crown that is only an accidental feature of tho cose; in the opinion of the Government it ahonld at once be vested in tho applicants. I may ad i that even if the Government was of a different opinion a compliance with your re quest would involve a question of compensation, the obligation to meet which in no way lies upon the i Government.—l have, &c, 1 D. Maceellab, (Jfar the Provincial Secretory.) The Tows Clerk, Dunedin,

Tho Board decided that the application to purchase be complied with, the Chairman (Mr Strode) alone dissenting. Mr Mirama stated that it was the intention of the Corporation to appeal.