DRAINAGE MATTERS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXXII, Issue 2722, 11 May 1931, Page 2

DRAINAGE MATTERS.

THE WEST BOARD. MONTHLY MEETING. ' The monthly meeting of the Hauraki West Drainage Board was held on Thursday last at Ngatea, Mr C. W. Parfitt presiding over Messrs J. Motion, A. McClean, T. McClean, A. Douglas,'and E. L. Walton (Clerk). Outlet Required. The main business of the meeting consisted in hearing rquests from two settlers for improved drainage and more efficient outlets. Mr J. Neate, of Hopai, the first of the applicants, represented that he was in the unfortunate position of having no proper outlet. All his* drainage depended on a drain running through the centre of his farm and was an unsatisfactory means of bringing water from the back of the property. For the Board to give him an efficient outlet would mean cleaning out and deepening some eighteen chains of i*oad»- drain • and continuing through private property. At present the, water was lying in the ditches on his property and becoming , stagnant, and the first rain would only increase the depth. The high water table consequent to tb : was impairing the returns from his farm by anything from 15 to 20 per cent. The Board discussed the matter at length, but decided that no definite promise could be made until the position had-been fully reviewed by members of the Board. Messis Parfitt and Motion were appointed to inspect the drains in question and were given power to act as might seem best. Outlet Under Stopbank. An application, was made by Mr P. Leonard, of Ngatea, in person, to be given an outlet under the stopbank on his i*iver frontage. His property stretched from the river road through to the Ngatea-IJgriroa Road, where an outlet was provided, but his milking shed was situated at the lower end of his property only a few chains from the river. Originally his drainage had run into the stopbank drain, and thende into the river through the Paul-Len-nard outlet. The stopbank drain had been neglected, become blocked, and to clean out a sufficient length to give him relief now would be a costly undertaking. Mr Leonard’s proposal was to place about an eighteen inch pipe, with flap attached, under the bank and into the river. If this were done the stop bank drain fronting his property and over 60 chains long would be necessary. The Board was unable to give Mr Leonard any definite answer without an inspection of the position, and on conclusion of othei* business the meeting adjourned to Mr Leonard’s property. After an inspection, it was found that action would have to be deferred until an estimate of the cost of the work and material required could be obtained. General Business. It was decided to request the Lands Drainage Engineer (Mr E. Taylor) to keep the water in the WaitakaruruPouarua Canal low as possible during the coming months, as the depths of the dammed up water was causing trouble to farmers in the vicinity of the canal. The matter of fencing the Settlers’ Drain was next discussed. As the on the Pipiroa side would be affected, it was decided to request them to find the material for a fence, which the Board would be prepard to erect under the relief scheme.' The drain would require to be deepened and battered in places and the Board would also undertake to have this done.