MANUKAU HARBOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14730, 12 July 1911, Page 5

MANUKAU HARBOUR.

AUCKLAND BOARD'S CONTROL

A DRAFT BILL PREPARED.

CANAL CONSTRUCTION INCLUDED.

One of the principal matters considered by the Auckland Harbour Board, at its meeting yesterday • afternoon, was a draft of the Manukau Harbour Control Bill, submitted by the Board's solicitors, Messrs. Russell and Campbell.. Mr. Russell was in attendance.

The draft Bill provides that upon the completion of the purchase by the Board of the Railway Wharf Hid its site at Onehunga the Manukau Harbour shall be under the control and management of the Auckland Harbour Board, and that the lands to which the Board shall Income entitled shall be held by it upon the same terms as the other lands and endowments held by the Beard. The Board may, if it deems tit, arrange with the Ministe* for Hallways to purchase the existing Railway Wharf or wharves at Onehunga at a price to be' fixed by arbitration, provided that in fixing such piiee the arbitrators 'shall take into consideration the present value of such wharf or wharves and the present value of all appliances, beacons, navigation marks, lights, and other accommodation works, if any, provided M the cost of the Railway Department, but such price shall not include any Bum in respect of the railway sidings and appliances laid on the wharf or wharves, and the. materials comprising' the same shall remain the property of the Crown. The remaining clauses in the Bill set forth that the board shall be entitled to make investigations and surveys for the purpose of obtaining information as to the. feasibility of constructing a canal between the Waikato River and the Manukau Harbour, and for the purpose of constructing the canal purchase land either within or without the limits of its jurisdiction. Until the land purchased is required for the construction of the e«nnl it shall lie- lawful for the Board to grant leases of the same; and, further, the Board may sen any such lands which it may from time to time deem unnecessary for the purposes aforesaid. The chairman (Mr.,. J. H. Gunson) moved that "the. Bill, as submitted by the .Board s solicitors, be approved.

A Request Prom Onehunga. At this stage Mr. J. Rowe,-Mayor of Onehunga, waited upon the Board, and urged that a clause be inserted in the Bill vesting the control of two reclamations—one of 85 acres, and the other of la acres— the foreshore at Onehunga, m the Onehunga Borough Council, for the purposes of recreation reserves. Mr. W. E. Hutchison pointed out that at Onehunga they already had a cemetery reserve, which the local authorities were selling by the square inch. He wanted to know whether the Onehunga Borough Council intended to sell these proposed, .reserves by the square inch also. Mr. Rowe replied that the cemetery reserve was vested in other bodies as well as the Onehunga Borough Council, and that it was filled up by people from Eden County. Mr. Hutchison considered that the 85 acres asked for were more valuable than any other 500 acres in the Manukau Harbour. \ The Tamaki Route. Mr. C. Bagley moved, as an amendment, that words be inserted in the Bill, authorising the construction of the Manu-kau-Waitemata Canal, via the Tamaki route. :, *

Mr. J. E. Taylor seconded the amendment.

Mr. Russell suggested that before adopting such a course, the Board should make inquiries as to. the title to the land required. The circumstance that the construction of such a canal would interfere with the railway would have to be considered. If proper inquiries were not made, it was quite possible that the Bill would be jeopardised. ' Mr. J. S. Bond thought the Board's engineer should be instructed to prepare the necessary data. Mr. Hutchison opposed the amendment, on the ground that the- construction of the Manukau-Waitcmata Canal would not be feasible until Auckland had twice its population, which would be in, say, 15 or 20 years' time. Mr. P. Virtue urged that further consideration of the Bill be postponed until the Board was furnished with full information. - ■'•• "■•' * ' -'

The amendment was lost cm the casting vote of the chairman.

Referred to a Committee. i.lr. Alison moved, as a further amendment, that the Bill be referred to the Legal and Finance Committee for consideration. He considered that the Board, before deciding the matter, should be furnished with full information as to the value of the endowments it would receive, and what" would be the income and expenditure. He understood that the proposed endowments were , only valued at £3000. '"-" . ' : Mr. Bond thought the Board should, as soon as possible, get the construct the proposed canals. Mr. Virtue seconded the amendment. , The Chairman said that by adopting the amendment the Bill would not be prejudiced. . The amendment was carried.