IRRIGATION SCHEME

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 279, 9 November 1931, Page 7

IRRIGATION SCHEME

FOR TE MATA FRUIT-GROWING LAND. COUNTY COUNCIL TO OBTAIN REPORT. A proposal to irrigate a considerable portion of land at Te Mata for the purposes of fruit-growing, was c|jscussed by a deputation last week which waited on Cr. T. Mason Chambers, member of the Havelock riding in the Hawke’s Bay County Council. At to-day’s meeting of the council, Cr. Chambers, in bringing the matter forward, said that the scheme would be of more benefit to those interested than any other previously proposed. A number of orchards conld be successfully irrigated, while there was a considerable area that could lie made suitable for fruit-growing if properly irrigated. It was essential that for this purpose water be procured at a reasonable rate. Different methods had been proposed, one being by pumping, another by gravitation, and another by a combinatino of both.

An irrigation scheme, he said, would ndd enormously to the productivity of the land and. besides doubling the output, would bring into occupation a large area that it was not now possible to use.

On Cr. Chambers's motion, the council agreed to obtain a report from its engineer, and the matter was left in the hands of the chairman and Cr. Chambers to report to the council at its next meeting. Mr. G. F Clapcott, formerly engineer to the borough of Napier, who has had considerable experience in irrigation work, is to be associated with the council 1 * engineer in the report. Cr. Chambers added that <mie time ago a Minister of the Crown had favourably commented on such an irrigation scheme, which was likely to le'ceive Government assistance.