“PROGRESS TO HEALTH”

Evening Star, Issue 21993, 1 April 1935, Page 2

“PROGRESS TO HEALTH”

KAIKDRAI VALLEY DRAINAGE SCHEME CEREMONY OF TURNING THE FIRST SOD At a cost of £40,000, the work of laying the Green Island Borough drainage is about to start, and when completed in three'years’ time, it will be the realisation of the hopes and efforts of years of the present Council and the residents of the district. The ceremony of digging the first sod, the inaugural step in the work entailed, was performed by the mayoress (Mrs W. T. Smellie) on Saturday afternoon on a site adjoining the main road, near the junction of Brighton road. The ceremony was witnessed by a fairly large number of those interested. Prominently displayed on the ground was the council’s slogan, “ Progress to Health.” BENEFITS TO DISTRICT. The mayor of the borough (Mr W. T. Smellie) said he was pleased l to see

sucti a large gathering at the iiir augural function, and extended a welcome to everyone. Amongst those present were Sir Lindo and Lady I 1 erguson, Sir Lindo having been chairman of the special commission set up to go into the question of the drainage with the Board of Health. “ Again wo have reached another milestone in the progress of our borough,” he said. “ For more than thirty 1 years drainage for Green Island has been the subject of discussion by the different councils, but certain circumstances have brought about an opportunity for the present council to carry it. through. Sooner or later drainage for Green Island was an absolute necessity, and l because of unemployment and by sympathy from the Board of Health, reduced rates of interest on loans, subsidies from the Unemployment Board, and other similar factors, tho present council felt that the time was opportune to proceed with the scheme.” November of this year would mark the diamond jubilee of the formation of the Borough of Green Island, and looking back over those years, one could not help but be struck by tho progress that had been made. In 1911 water was laid on and electricity installed. In 1929 gas was laid on, in 1932 fire protection was established, and now the commencement of the drainage scheme was to be seen. But with all this progress and improvement one should not lose sight of the fact that it is to the early pioneers, who blazed the trail, and to whom this debt of gratitude was growing. The carrying out of this scheme was going to be of great benefit to Green Island. First and foremost it was going to relieve the situation of the unemployed as far as Green Island was concerned; it was going to supply steady work for thorn for years. It was going to encourage people to come out and live in Green Island, which meant that the council would he receiving more money for rates; also more money would be circulated in tho district, and in various other ways the district would benefit, and, finally, at long last, the famous Kaikorai Stream would be completely settled, and some day it was hoped that it would be famous for its beauty, as the Avon was in Christchurch. “ I would like to say that it has been a long, hard fight to reach this stage, and I would, like to give my best thanks to those who have in any way assisted, and I would also desire to give my best wishes for the completion of tho scheme.” LOAN RAISED AT LOW RATE. • C'r J. C. Bussell, chairman of the Drainage Committee, said that this was a red-letter day for Green Island. Many attempts had been made in the last thirty years to find a solution of the borough drainage problem, and the present was an opportune time to do the work, as the district was expanding. The engineer had estimated the cost of the work at £40,000. £32,000 of loan money and the Unemployment Board’s subsidy of about £B,OOO were to make that total. , The council had raised the £32,000 at the low rate of 3J per cent, per annum, the lowest rate over paid by it for a loan. The men on the work were to receive 13s 4d a day for a five-day week, while tho subsidy would amount to 7s a day. It was hoped to have tho job completed in three years. It would not be possible to start all the unemployed married men on the Job straight away, hut the engineer would have them working as soon as he could. The - speaker looked optimistically on the future progress of the borough, which was fifteen minutes’ travel from tho city. With large areas of residential sites available it would become a popular district. He wished the engineer, his staff, and men every success in their undertaking.

ADVANTAGES TO MANUFACTURER

After the first sod had been turned by Mrs Sniollie the borough engineer (Mr F. J. Williams) presented her with a memento of the occasion in the form of a mounted and suitably inscribed gold level. ' Mr Williams said that the day was. one of considerable importance to the Borough of Green Island, in that it marked the completion of many years of effort by successive councils and engineers for the development of the district. The Knikorai Valley, particularly within the Green Island Borough boundary, had always been admirably suited for the establishment of secondary industries. There were first-class railway facilities, roads with bitumen surfaces, electric power, abundance of coal, and water available at a reasonable rate. It possessed greater advantages to the manufacturer than any otiier place so dose to a large centre. The completion of the work would enable the efficient disposal of manufacturing wastes, and would complete ideal conditions for the manufacturer. From a hygienic point of view it must be admitted that the facilities of a modern sewage system greatly assisted in the residential development of an area, and, indeed, such a system was essential.

The work being undertaken had two main objects. Firstly, the disposal of factory wastes in order to purify the Kalkorai Stream and permit further industrial settlement within the area, and, secondly, the disposal of household

sewage. The work, therefore, had beeri divided into two parts—the construction of the main drain, which was on the line where the celebrations were taking place, and the construction of the reticulation sewers as demand arose.

The borough lent itself admirably to efficient drainage, and the fall available from the borough boundary to the Brighton road was good, which reduced the cost, because minimum diameter pipes carried the necessary amount of sewage. Throughout the design of the main carrier the utmost advantage had been taken of the natural fall, with tho object of reducing its capital cost. Prom the Brighton ■ road to the sea the fall was small, and consequently the diameter of the pipes was greater, and many large engineering problems presented themselves for solution. It was believed that there had been selected a line for this sewer, which would make it not only efficient, hut would establish this efficiency at the smallest capital outlay. He had designed the arrangement of the sewers on what was known as “ the separate system.” which would enable the size of the sewers necessary to convey the quantity of sewerage to the main carrier easily determinable. The stormwater from the streets and from the roofs of the houses would continue to discharge, as previously, into street channels, and into the drains which had already been constructed. The main carrier commenced near tho old railway lino, and, starting as a 9in sewor, continued generally through tho lowest available land. It was successively enlarged to 12in, 15in, and 21in diameter to the outfall, which was on the beach, nearly a mile above the present outlet to the Kaikorai Stream. On reaching the sandhills tho sewage would be collected in a penstock, from which 15in diameter cast iron pipes would convey it out to sea and discharge Ift below low water mark, ordinary spring tides. The estimated cost of tho work was also divided into two parts—that of the main carrier, which was estimated to cost £30,000, and that of reticulation, which was estimated to cost £IO.OOO,

Tho scheme had been rendered possible hv the assistance of the Unemployment Board in subsidising the wages of the men employed in carrying out the work. It was a matter of very great pleasure to know that the council would ho instrumental in providing for approximately three years’ work for those men who had been so long suffering under the economic depression. It was the intention to gjvo these men a reasonable remuneration for their services, and he anticipated the conditions in Green Island would be wonderfully improved during the progress of tho work. It was his intention to provide for forty hours a week, and if any time was lost it could be made up on tho Saturday, provided always all the men wore agreeable. In other words, tho utmost would be done to provide the imen with forty hours’ work a week at the standard rate of pay of 13s 4d a day. In return, he felt sure the men would give him their best services, and so make the scheme a success.

Sir Lindo Ferguson said he had been interested in the drainage question of the Kaikorai Valley for a long time. It was a very beautiful valley, and was particularly suited to the development of manufactures, because it was within easy reach of tho city, was supplied with electricity, and had water. Wherever there was a manufacturing centre there must be homes for tho workers, and Green Island provided the facilities for these. It had been a pleasure to him to be president of the commission which gave permission to Green Island to carry out the work. The scheme was essential, and promised to be very effective. _ Because of its proximity to Dunedin it would ho only a matter of time 'when Green Island 1 would become part of greater Dunedin. He congratulated tho Green Island authorities on-the move they were about to make.

Mr J. L. Miller, who was a member of the council for twenty-three years before being elected mayor, spoke on behalf of the former mayors of the borough. Ho mentioned that it was rather unique that the present important ceremony should take place on property that formerly belonged to one of the early pioneers, Mrs William Shand. The drainage had been a matter of great concern to the borough, and he was very pleased to be present at the first function in connection with the actual work to be undertaken. He congratulated the council on the low loan interest rate, and on getting the Unemployment Board subsidy. The borough already had light and water, and with the completion of the drainage it would be a model suburb. Ex-Councillor H. A. Christie added that this was the turning point in the progress of the borough. Had this scheme been carried out twenty years ago the borough would now have had a population of 5,000 instead of 2,000. He congratulated the mayor and the councillors on bringing the scheme to its present stage. A FAVOURED SITUATION. The Mayor of Uunedin (Jlcv. E. 11.I 1 . Cox) offered congratulations on behalf of visiting mayors and the city. It was a progressive move, and Mr Smellie was to be congratulated on seeing the beginning of it during his term of office. Mr Smollie’s name would go down in history as the mayor who saw the inauguration of the drainage. Green

Island was-, in .a-favoured situation, and was one of the most beautiful of suburbs. The completion of the scheme would, make the Kaikorai Valley a very habitable place for both residents anil industries. The council’s slogan, “ Progress to Health,” was very apt. The present generation had added to the span of human life by its advance in the science of medicine, and by its hygienic mode of living. In some of the thickly populated places in the East the death rate was as high as 300 in a 1,000, but in New Zealand it was as low as 3 in 1,000. He congratulated the officials of the borough on the drainage scheme, which would be a step further toward health. Mr C. Findlay, chairman of the Taieri County Council, also congratulated the borough on its step. On behalf of the manufacturers Mr James Hogg said the borough was entitled to progress to health. A district of 2,000 inhabitants needed sound drainage. He congratulated the borough on its scheme, which would bring a largo measure of comfort, and would probably attract a larger number to live in the district.