KAIKORAI DRAINAGE

Evening Star, Issue 15479, 29 April 1914, Page 8

KAIKORAI DRAINAGE

DISCUSSED AT GREEN ISLAND. POSITION OF LOCAL SCHEME. MERELY TENTATIVE. There was a splendid attendance at the Green Island Hall last night to hear the rival candidates for the local mayoralty— Mr Geddes (the present Mayor) and Cr Reeve—put forward their views on municipal matters. Cr Jackson presided. Both speakers devoted some time to general subjects, but a;s the voting will be practically over by the time this appears in print, a recapitulation of their views would bo somewhat belated. The question of drainage, however, is on a different footing, and the information given as to how matters stand should be of value to ratepayers in view of the possibility of some scheme coming before them for adoption before long. “ ,

Mr Geddes said that the history of drainage for the valley dates hack a dozen years. First competitive designs were invited for a main drain down the Kalkorai Valley. Only one, that of Mr Leslie Reynolds, was received. He (Air Geddes) believed in this scheme of one main drain for tho valley from top to bottom, administered by a local drainage board representative of all the local bodies concerned. The Taieri County Council objected to the cost of this scheme. But for their objection it would have now been an accomplished fact. The estimated cost had been £15,000 for the main drain, each local authority to do its own reticulation acoord(ir.g to urgency and financial ability. No subsequent scheme had been ns good as this one. The next move was made by the late Roslyn Council, who proposed to drain their Kaikorai area to septic tanks in the valley discharging in the stream. He had opposed that, and was tracked up by a majority of the Green Island Council. His whole ambition had been to keep the whole district undivided so that when tho time came the whole drainage of the valley could be carried out by one body. Then came an agitation in Maori Hill for that borough to be included in the Dunedin Drainage Board’s area. He and Mr Freeman had opposed that before the board, but the whole thing had been cut and dried. Part of Maori Hill was taken out of the Kaikorai into tbs Dunedin drainage district, and there were now' complaints about it not having yet been given drainage. Green Island was now proposing to go in for a septic tank system. Tho circumstances were altogether different from those that surrounded Roslyn’s abandoned septic tank scheme. It was a very different matter for Green Island to have septic tanks below the borough than for there to be such an installation above it discharging into the Kaikorai Stream. The previous night the ‘ Star ’ had attacked him and the council and its Drainage Committee. All they had done had been practically unanimously resolved on, there having been little or no adverse criticism. _ The ‘Star’ stated that since the Kaikorai Drainage Commission of 1903 Green Island had played a lone hand, but the council were forced to do it. His own ideal had always been a main jdrain from top to bottom of the valley, controlled by one local board, and he had never made any secret of it, as past reports would prove. Apparently the ‘ Star ’ knew the exact position in regard to this little scheme of hie. It was before the Drainage Committee, and when it first came up he had remarked that it was for from his ideal, but that he was willing to investigate it. There was no mystery about it, but a mistake’had been made in publishing it in it® crude state, before it

had been placed in the hands of an ensi* neer. There had been a standing offer by the engineer (Mr Williams) to draft a scheme for the borougn for. £lO. That offer had been availed of, and the council were awaiting the scheme, and wom get good valne for their £lO. They had paid the Dunedin Drainage Board £SO at their portion of the cost of Mr Klinger’s iawstipation, and all they got in r«r-nm was a few newspaper clippings setting forth a scheme. He held that Green bland Council should get sketch drawings of Mr Siinger’s scheme. Revert-ag to Mr Williams’s report, it had not been received yet, but when it was everyth!, ig would be put before the public, and the ratepayers would have to decide whether it should be gone on witn. (Applause.) The ‘ Star ’ ridiculed the size of the main pipe line, but the council were not committed to 12in drain pipes. It might be a 15in drain pipe line, and it had to be remembered that it would have to carry sewage only, and not storm water. He wished also to explain the origin of the sewage faim proposal at the 1908 Commission. The Green Island delegates advocated Mr Leslie Reynolds’s scheme, but were ruled out of order, and directed to find some other scheme to advocate. CV James Gedcles was equal to the emergency, and thought of the sewage farm. True, both Commissioner Short and Mr Slinger were against this, but the Green Island delegates stuck to it as their last hope. That was the reason why, although they went to the Commission believing in one grand scheme for the whole valley, they had been forced to adopt the sewage farm idea. He had often thought that Mr Short committed a grave injustice to the Kaikorai Valley, in his arbitrary conduct of the Commission.

Mr Geddes then went on to give an outline of the Green Island independent scheme, as placed in the engineers hands. Assuming that the main drain cost £7,000, interest and sinking fund could be met byannual contributions totalling £4OO from four factories, and by a half rate of 6d in the £ (on £14,000 annual rateable value) on properties so _ long as they mained unsewered. to be increased to Is remained to be increased to Is when reticulation was provided. As to Mr Slinger’s scheme, he declared that it should not be considered unless the Dunedin Drainage Board would give Green Island a written guarantee that they worjn provide drainage, including reticnlaticJh, for a Is rate. In that case he would recommend ratepayers to accept the offer, for it would be good business. But the board had their solicitor’s opinion that a differential rate could not be imposed unless the area proposed to be so treated were made a sub-district, and that would mean more legislation, which would have to be conditional on the ascertained ability of the district to pay the rat© necessary. It seemed to him that the best wayt out was a main drain from top to bottom of the valley, each local body doing its own reticulation when ready and able to do so. He was bound to no scheme, and th« electors must be the final arbiters.

In answer to questions, Mr Geddes said he could not say what sum would have to be borrowed for the local scheme, which might grow in the engineer’s hands. It might require £IO,OOO, and unless sufficient money were secured from the manufactories, the rates would have to go up to cover interest and annual charges. Or Reeve, on coming to the subject of drainage, declared that the local scheme now before Mr Williams was the Mayor's pet scheme, on which he had put his hallmark—a Kathleen Mavourneen sort of drainage, which might not bo for years, and might not be for ever. (Laughter.) For the last 10 years the people had agitated for drainage, and what was there show ? He was in favor of any schema that would properly drain the valley, and so were the manufacturers. He declared that Mr Slinaer’s work for Dunedin was the best drainage work in the world, for other engineers had declared it to bo so. Yet Green Island wanted to put a little row of crockery pots through their district. Mr Geddes said at ©lection time that lie was in favor of any drainage scheme. When Mr Geddes last took office his first act had been to remove him (Or Reeve) from the position of chairman of the Drainage Committee. If Mr Geddes was, as ho said, in favor of any scheme, how was it that in the 15 years* he had been Mayor or councillor nothing had been done? As to the finance of the local scheme, its nrime cost would mn to £15,000 or £20,000, and there was no guarantee whatever about the annual contributions from factories mentioned by Mr Geddes. On the other hand, Mr SHnger’s stneme should only cost £27,000 to Green Island, and interest on that at per cent, would ho £1.215. A 6d rate wouM produce £350 from Green Island, leaving a deficiency of £865, which would not be felt by a body like the Dunedin Drainage Board, with an income of £28.000. That was based on the present population, bub drainage would attract manufacture, and that' in turn would increase residential population, and there would be no difficulty about finding the necessary money without high rating. Dir Geddes had really been one of the most bitter enemies of drainage, since for 15 years he had had every oportunitv of providing it, and so making the valley, already provided with light and power, one of the finest manufacturing and residential valleys in Xow Zealand.

At the conclusion of these speeches tho meeting heard the candidates for the v-goancy in the council, and these expressed themselves in favor of drainage according to Mr Slinger’s scheme.