IRRIGATION BENEFITS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21020, 3 November 1931, Page 11

IRRIGATION BENEFITS.

CENTRAL OTAGO AREA. INCREASES IN LIVESTOCK. PROPOSALS FOR FUTURE. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON, Monday. A considerable amount of investigation and survey work has been carried out in connection with irrigation schemes in Central Otago, according to the PublicWorks Statement presented to the House this evening. The data obtained are being compiled, and early consideration will be given to the desirability or otherwise of further extensions of the irrigable areas in that district. The total expenditure which the Public Works Departj ment incurred on irrigation in Otago up | to the end of March, 1931, was £931,638. I The total area irrigated under the 11 ! completed schemes is 42,672 acres, and : the irrigators number 408. The area of i land owned by farmers who irrigate under | the Government schemes is approxij matelv 250,000 acres, or six times the | area irrigated. | "On account of the difficulties through which the farming community is passing," says the statement, "difficulty is being experienced in collecting payment for water supply. The amount of rates for last financial year, including the rates unpaid in former years, was £13,787, and of this £12.933 yet remains unpaid. It is considered that in many cases there is ' no justifiable excuse for non-payment, and : it seems apparent that greater pressure must be brought to bear to obtain payment of arrears, some of which have been outstanding for a considerable period. Striking Comparisons. "Arrangements have been made for the Otago Land Board, which has been handling the question of rent unpaid by Crown tenants, to investigate each case of unpaid irrigation charges and to report to the Minister, after consideration of the irrigator's ability to pay, its recoms mendation whether payment should be enforced, rebated, or postponed." A number of graphs are printed with the statement, to show that the benefits resulting to the district from irrigation are , considerable, and that the indirect return to the Consolidated Fund as a result of : increased production would appear to fully | justify the expenditure involved in the schemes. The graphs cover the period from 1920 . to 1930 and show that the following inj creases in livestock have taken place:— | Vincent County: Dairy cows, 74 per cent.; ! sheep. 66 per cent. Vincent, Tuapeka and Maniototo Counties (combined) : Sheep, 54 per cent. Figures are given also to ! show that these increases are not due | entirely to the general increase in liveI stock throughout the Dominion, j The Dominion increase in dairy cows ! over the 10-years period is shown at about ! 62 per cent., and in sheep at 30 per cent. I The favourable position in which Vincent i County stands with regard to dairy cows j is shown by the fact that the number has | increased s:nce 1924 by about 7 per cent., j whereas in the same period there has i been a decrease of about 13 per cent, i in the Otago and Southland Provinces ] combined. Value of £120,000 a Year. " Taking the figure of 16s a head as a fair value to allow for the production for a sheep per year," says the statement, " the increase in production due to . irrigation for sheep only can be calculated a: £IO4.CCO. Similarly, taking the annual value of the production from a dairy cow as £l3 10s and the increase in numbers of dairy cows due to irrigation as 1200, the increase in the value of the products from th:s source can be cal--1 culated at £16.000. The total increase in i production primarily due to irrigation I from these two sources algne can therefore : be set down at £120.000 8 year." " The amount proposed to be made | available this year for the development of irrigation in Central Otago is £75,000. j Ihe possible future schemes that have been under review are the Omakau- | Lauder-Matakanui. taking supply from I the Upper Manuberikia River, which would irrigate between 14.000 and 15.000 acres. The estimated cost of this work is £257.000, and the annual charges would amount to £12.550. The rext scheme under consideration is known as Becks-Clyde, a'so taking supply from the Upper Manuberikia. In this case there would be available for irrigation purposes 23.0 CX) acres of land at a total estimated capital outlay of about £6-80.000. " The third scheme in regard to which a certain amount, of information is available is known as the Lake Hawea electric pumping scheme, which would irrigate about 14,000 acres of lam!. A tentative piroposa! was recer-tiv made to the Government- that private enterprise would be prepared to undertake this woik. and a renlv has been given that the Govern- | jr.ent would give its answer to the request f for a Href,-" a definite ! iis submitted. _ 1 " The remaining schemes whtch have j j be n n investigated are the Bearing M»s } e!e<"triral pumping soh«m<? and the Et- j I trick, or Tev;nt. In the first ; I case about SjOO an es could ! » irrigate'?. • ! and under the E;a w.rh \ j smaller area T d be V it?; i regard to the P!»m. thf- irn- j I tng to 130.000 N° tentative iI this "undertaking Tfc° «upply mti I would ' = H""a ! -r-r, ti:" -;rr = r 1 rc^>~n ci of the { taken in hand by the department."