RUNANGA WATER SUPPLY

Grey River Argus, 1 November 1937, Page 7

RUNANGA WATER SUPPLY

STATE GRANTS OF £lO,OBO

Loan of £12,000 Proposed

[From Our Own Correspondent.]

A special meeting of the Runanga Borough Council was held on Saturday evening to consider the communication from the Hon. P. C. Webb, Minister for Mines, also that from the Minister for Labour, with reference to the offer of £lO,OOO from the Labour and Mines Departments towards a water supply for Runanga., The covering letter from the Minister of Mines, Hon. P. C. Webb, was as follows:—“With reference to previous correspondence re the above, and in continuation of my letter to you of the 30th. August, I have now to advise as follows: Copies of the estimates, report and the plans prepared by Messrs Gannon and Stevens, were referred to the Public Works • Department for perusal and report.; A.copy of the report of the District Engineer, Greymouth, to the permanent head of the Public Works Department, Wellington, and an extract of the permanent head’s report, is also' enclosed. You will note that there are certain discrepancies in the proposal submitted, including doubt as to the actual tunnel length and height of intake, which require to be cleared up before matters are finalised. You will note also that the District Engineer* estimates the scheme to cost £19,730, and that a check estimate was made by the Head Office of the Public Works Department by inserting revised pipe prices which are rising and allowing £3' per foot for the tunnel, which brought the estimate up to £22,583. The proposed water supply for Runanga and the reports thereon have been carefully considered by Cabinet. As it was recognised that the Borough could not undertake the work without substantial aid from the Government, Cabinet approved of the following being offered to the Council: (1) A subsidy from the Employment Promotion Fund on uie basis of 50 per cent, of the labour cost, with a maximum contribution of £5,000; (2) a contribution from the State Coal-Mines account of £5,000, making a total of £lO,OOO. The contribution from the Employment Promotion Fund is subject to the conditions that not less than 80 per cent, of the necessary labour is to be engaged from the register of unemployed • and that pipes of New Zealand manufacture are to be used on the work. This will leave a sum of, say,' £14,000 which would he required to be found by your Council by way of loan. I shall be glad, therefore, if you will kindly have the matter placed before your Council and if it decides to go on with the water supply with- the aid of the Government assistance offered as above, it will be necessary for the Council to apply to the Government Loans Board for approval. If this approval is, granted by the Loans Board it will then be necessary for the Council to take a poll of the ratepayers. The plans are being returned under separate cover.” ' Following is an extract from a

memorandum of the Engineer-in-Chief, Public Works Department, Wellington, to the Under-Secretary, Mines Department, Wellington, dated 27/7/1937: “In reply to your memorandum N. 15/104 of 19th. May last, I forward herewith copy of a report on Messrs Gannon and Stevens scheme which has been prepared by the District Engineer, Greymouth. You will note that the scheme is favourably commented on. lou will note that there are certain discrepancies found in the proposals submitted, including doubt as to actual length of tunnel and height of intake. These discrepancies should be cleared up before proposals are approved. Other recommendations are that the pipe along the railway should be laid in lower side instead of upper side as shown, and that the capacity of the reservoir should be increased to 100,000 gallons. You will note that the District Engineer estimates the scheme to cost £19,730 as against Messrs Gannon and Stevens estimate of £17,776. A check estimate was made by Head Office inserting revised pipe prices which are rising and allowing £3 per foot for. the tunnel and this brings the estimate up to £22,582.” The estimates as submitted by the Public Works Department were fully discussed by the Council. The Mayor, in the course of his remarks, said he was delighted at the most generous offer of the two Government Departments, making it possible for the people of Runanga to have a pure water supply. The revised plan submitted by their own independent engineers had been approved of by the Department as being superior to the plans and estimates of 1928.

It was unanimously decided that both Ministers be written to, conveying the thar <s qf the Council and the ratepayers or their generous offer, which wr /hole-heartedly accept. It wr also decided to immediately advertise preparatory to making application to the Government Loans r>oard for the permission to oorrow £12,000.