Kaitaia Drainage Scheme

Northern Advocate, 24 January 1939, Page 6

Kaitaia Drainage Scheme

advice has been received from the secretary oi the Kaitaia Drainage Committee that the committee has been prepared to recommend the acceptance of reasonable loading o± properties within the area, which loading could take the form o± future maintenance of the scheme, to be defined. this information will be received with great satisfaction, not only by the Government, but also by the taxpayer as well. . * l6 drainage scheme is to function satisfactorily it will lequire permanent maintenance and occasional capital expenditure. 4- i?io<7?! e f USf l\^ le of the Lands Department shows Ino*. ls - 4tL was s P ent in maintenance in 1935, and £IB2O in iyo i. These, or approximate expenses, will recur for many years to P ol ‘| ia ps, for all time and it is certainly very heartening to know that the settlers have been prepared to accept reasonable responsibility for the maintenance costs on a basis to be defined. A comparison of the rates levied against the settlers in the uawai and Kaitaia drainage, areas, published in this issue, shows that in the former the total drainage levy is 3fd. in the ,£, compared with 2s. 8.15 d. in the latter, the figures being for “A” class land in each case. In the “B” class the total drainage rate at Ruawai is 3 11-16 d. in the £, while at Kaitaia it is 11.25 d. in the £ In the above figures no reference is made in either ease to the ordinary county rates, which are considerably heavier in Kaitaia than they are in Ruawai.

t- . would j ;PP eai ; B'om this comparison that the settlers in the Kaitaia area have jgst cause for consideration of their case lor relict from the heavy burden of rating as a result of the drainage scheme.