BLACKBALL WATER SUPPLY

Grey River Argus, 2 November 1928, Page 4

BLACKBALL WATER SUPPLY

ENGINEER’S REPORT. Submittsd to Public Works Department. The following report <-oo<-crning plans anti estimates for th - Blaekball water supply project, as been’submitted by the County Engineer (Air J. to the Publie Works Depart ment for approval:— Water supply for Blaekball was fir-t mooted in 1914 and a si-htnie prepar'd and submitted to a vote of the at - payers. The night before the poll, the manager of the Blaekball Mines eonvened. a meeting of the ratepayers and after enlarging on the expense of the work, promised that his Company would supply them with water without cost, if they turned down the loan proposals. Tite loan proposals were lost, but water was not supplied by the Blackball Coal Co. It was merely a dodge to avoid the rate-, for the who 1 .- coaf mine was included in the special district, and the manager had over looked, or was not aware of the fact, that ratepayers eould object to the inclusion of their properties in the special district, and had not done so. consequeiiily the Coal Mining Co. have been liable for more than half the special rates. The matter was brought up again in 1925, and t ie t oal Mine was again included in the proposed special rating district, but the Com pony’s officials were, not eaught napping a second time. An objection was duly lodged and this was sustained by the Revision Court in December. 1925; conse<|uentlv the Coal Mine (valuation i £50.000) was excluded. The capital I rateable value of the special district is £40.000. The proposed period for the loan is twenty years. The interest will probable be six per cent, and provision for sinking fund three per eent , total nine per cent. The estimated cost of the works is £12,000. consequently the annual charges will amount to £l.OlO. The rate required to cover this amount will be Gid in the £ on the capita! value. The district is paying the following rates: County rate. 1’) t't the £ on capital value: Hospital cate I'd in the £ on capital value: lighting rale, 'd in the £ on capital value. It is liable for special rates on loan- for Comity wo ks to a total of .261 of a penny in the £ capital value, which have not been called up -o far- viz.. Taramakau bridge loan. £2,022, l-16d; Cobden bridge loan, £3OOO. 3-20 d: antecedent liability loan, £11,500, 15-31 d; mid is further liable to rate- on four loan raised by Grey District Electric Bower Board, amountno to ‘lOl non, the rates (not called up so far-, being lid, 1/9.1, 3/5.1 and 1 3Sd in the £ capital value. From the above it will be seen that the total rate- which th.- district is paying, and is liable for, amounts t ', 7.347 d in the £ on th.- rateable capital value. .. In 1923 tie Grey County Coune-.l urehased th" headrace and water rights of Aynpsley Bros, (auger the »ow. -s given bv ’section 2«5 of the Bub'i.- Wo k< Act. 1903) for a source pf water -ni.plv for Blackball, The wa< right- .’over 35 Government heads, the dates f ont which priorities of nntrr are: .July 22. 1887. 10 heads; February 27. 1999. 10 heads: ?Jav 31. 1960, 15 heads. A license was . rant’-'l (in exchange for water race iiccm. No. 2655 .later 22/7/ISB7 M\ \ 623) at Warden’s Court, \haii ;l. OU December 19. 1900. for a term of 42 years. Transferred from Ayn. -lev Bios, to the Chairman. Councillors and inhabitants of the Couqty of Grey. 19/2/23. and registered at AhauraWarden’s Court as No. 716>. Transfer consented by Iton. Minister f Mines. IS/9 23. Change of purpose from “Mining” tn “Industrial pursuits ami upply of water and sanitation for Blackball and district" con -anted to by Hon. Minister of Mines, IC '.723. Change of purpose, as above, g anted by Warden and registered at Ahaura on 23/10/23 as No. 7245. Water race licenses while held by Lo.-al Authorities arc protected front forfeiture and renewal is not necessarv. notwitlist.nr.uing the expiration of the nominal term thereof. The, lira use gives power to occupy a sfrip ff land 20ft wide along the eoqrse-of ‘he rac 'The land out.-ide this strip is owned by Blackball Coal Mines Prop ietary T.td. The site for reservoir is on tie same Company’s land. It is solid ground—no coal has Iwen removed f out underneath it, and the Mining Manager tells me that no payable coal exists there. Manv wars ago the Grey River and ■ts t ributat ries (of which Blackball C.eek is one) were proclaimpd sludge i hannel- for the reception of, tpiliugs, waste water and debris f om mining claims. This proclamation, so far, as it rclatel to Blackball Creek, was revoked bv proclamation—see gazette No. si of November 9. 1922. £he sour.-, of supply is secured against pollution bv section 126 Mining Act. 1926. formerly section 120. Mining Ait. 1907 and by sections 61 to 64, Health Act, 1920. The Grey County Council was granted extended powers for dealing with water supply, etc., under section 182, Counties Act. 1920. by Order in Council. See gazette No. 66 of October 1. 1925. Vp till a few months ago Blaekball was a prosperous little place, quite a number of new- houses had been e ected. and the population was increasing, but some 170 men were dispensed with at the mine. eonseqiicutlv tin* outlook is not so promisTHE PRESENT PROPOSALS. The present proposals consist in extending the head of water race seven chains aj tream. in order to avoid polluted water (C al Mine drajnajyr entering Blackball 1 reek from Goal Creek; erecting simple head works and carrying water to old race by 10 chains of 12 inch diameter steel pipe: laying 12 inch diameter Hume pipe in obi head race for a length nf 67.10 chains; constructing a reinforce-1 concrete reservoir 60ft x 60ft x t jft on the site shown; installing pump and a<‘« essories at end of Hume pipe line to deliver water into Tesc r voir, and reticulating the town as shown on plan. The estimated cost of these works is s town on attached schedule. The Scheme outlined above was submitted to a committee of the ratepayers and approved by them. It was considered inadvisable to go to the expense of making surveys and preparing, plans in detail for the work, as there was a possibility of the Loans Board refusing consent to the work being undertaken by loan; or if the Board consented, to the ratepayers turning down the loan proposal at the poll. If the Loans Board and ratepavers both agree to the work being proceeded with, it will be understood by the Council that no work shall be put in hand until all the details of the scheme have been approved by Public Works Department.