AHURIRI DRAINAGE SCHEME

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 102, 11 April 1933, Page 10

AHURIRI DRAINAGE SCHEME

DEVELOPMENT OF ENDOWMENTS REPORT AND PLAN BEFORE BOARD. The Ahurin drainage scheme, which involves the development of 7314 acres of Harbour Board endowment land raised by the 1931 earthquake, is now close to fruition. A repoit ami plan of the area were furnished by .Mr. Guv Rochfort to tho Napier Harbour Board yesterday and received the full approbation of the board. The area in question, said the chairman, extended from Greenmeadows to Petane, and was mapped out in 300 20acre blocks. The scheme had the approval of the Publie Works Department, and could be undertaken immediately. He had waited upon Mr. Jessep, deputy-chairman of tho Unemployment Board, in company with a number of other gentlemen, and laid all the plans before him. Mr. Jessep promised that the matter would receive immediate consideration of the tlnemploymcnt Board. With that in view he had requested the Public Works Deparftnent to make the required investigations. These wore made, but the scheme had gone further than that. It had been hoped, said Mr. Gcddis, that a definite project would be placed before the board at its meeting yesterday. So far as concerned the arrangements between the Government and the Harbour Board, the line taken by him was that the Government should take a lease of the property renewable in perpetuity, as with other Harbour Board leases, and at a nominal rent for the first ten or fifteen years, rent thereafter being based on valuation to be re-assessed at intervals of twenty years. Tho Government would supply the necessary money and the board would remain in the position of landlord. Mr. Geddis said he wired to Mr. Jessep asking for definite news to bo placed before the remaining members of the board. He had received the following reply:— “Board conferring with Public Works Department and Ministers with reference comprehensive scheme regarding Ahuriri Lagoon. Appreciate attention you have given to project since its inception and regret not possible finalise details before Harbour Board meeting.” The speaker said he looked forward to hearing from Mr. Jessep ■within the next few days, saying the Government had decided to go ahead with the scheme. The various departmental officers who had looked into the scheme were enthusiastic about the proposal for the development of this area. “When one looks over similar areas such as Miramar, in Wellington, that have been brought up by earthquakes, and the wonderful development that has taken place there, one sees in the Ahuriri Lagoon scheme of 7300 acres a wonderful possibility so far as this board’s endowment area is concerned. The development of this area is somewhat on the lines of the Richmond block. The area is designed for the land to be cut into 300 20-acre farms, to be roaded and fenced and made suitable for people to be placed on it. The time is ripe for engaging unemployed workers on land of this nature.” Mr. .Tull said he thought it premature to discuss the project until the board received a report from Wellington. He took it that when this arrived the chairman would call a special meeting. This the chairman agreed to do. and the board passed on to the next business.