LAND IMPROVEMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21888, 25 August 1934, Page 8

LAND IMPROVEMENTS

SWAMP DRAINAGE WORK ITEMS IN THE ESTIMATES CUT IN NATIVE VOTE [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPOHTER"| WELLINGTON, Friday The votes in the Estimates for land» improvement total £120,000. Last year a similar amount was voted, but only„ ; £71,825 was expended. Others sums are voted under separate headings for swamp drainage, irrigation works, and native land settlement. Of the £120.000 vote for land improvement, the largest single vote is £50,000 for drainage at Taupiri. Last year £IO,OOO was voted for this work, and £20,795 spent. The total estimated cost of the work is £150,000. and the total expenditure to March 31 was £27,350. A vote of £25,000 is made for the Waimatua Creek drainage scheme,. _ Southland, on which £11,723 was expended last year Harbour Flats and Sand-dunes A total of £11,484 is voted for mangrove and harbour flats reclamation work, in the Hobson, Hokianga. Kaipara, Mangonui, Whangarei and Whangaroa areas. A total of £38,400 was voted for this work last .year, £3417 having been expended. Another large item is sand-dune reclamation, for. which £17,975 has been voted. Of this sum, £9255 is requisi- I tioned for work in the Woodhill-Helens-ville district, £3630 for Waikato Heads and Kariotahi. £1590 for South Kaipara Heads, £1234 for Te Kopuru, and £1202 for Kaitaia. Last year. £16,149 was voted, and £8972 spent. For drainage of the Ohine Stream basin, £3750 has been voted, and for drainage of the Motutangi and Big Flat swamps, Houhora, £2273 has been allotted. A sum of £1778 for drainage and roading of the Ruakaka block has also been included. Votes for the clearing of willows in the Mokauiti, Opuatia, Piako. Taruheru, Waiharakeke, Waihou, Waiotu and Waitoa Rivers are also made. On all the works mentioned, part of the votes is recoverable from the Unemployment Board. Hauraki Plains Drainage There is a vote of £BO,OOO for irrigation, water-supply and drainage. A similar vote was made last year, and £66,838 was expended. The main expenditure, £64,650, will be at Omakau, Southland, where £47,429 out of a vote of £70,000 was spent last year. Most of the works are in the Canterbury and Central Otago districts. Sums of £IO,OOO are voted to extensions of the Teviot scheme, and £9OOO to the Ida Valley project. Part of the cost is recoverable from the Unemployment Fund. For swamp drainage, apart from schemes mentioned under the general lands improvement heading. £20,000 is voted. This includes a sum of £11,520 on general swamp land drainage, and £31,300 for drainage in the Hauraki Plains, there being credits-in-aid totalling £22,820. A sum of £10,250 is set down for the Hikurangi drainage area. The vote of £140,000 for native land settlement this year represents a considerable decrease from last year, when £232,900 was voted, and £179,485 spent. Sums for development schemes for native lands include £33,711 for the Tokerau (North Auckland) district, £13,416 for the Waikato-Mania-poto (South Auckland) district, £59,720 for the Waiariki (Bay of Plenty) district, and £35,268 for the Poverty BayWairoa district. A sum of £81,821 is voted for subsidies on relief works carried oat on development schemes. . .~ ;