IRRIGATION PROGRESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22231, 4 October 1935, Page 13

IRRIGATION PROGRESS

LARGE OTAGO PROJECT SURVEY IN CANTERBURY ONE SCHEME STARTED [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Thursday With the exception of the large Maniototo scheme, for which comprehensive surveys have now been made,. Central Otago does not seem at present*, to warrant any further* irrigation works, says the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. J. Bitchener, in his annual Statement. The scene of future operations, ho adds, would appear to be shifting to Canterbury. No new schemes have been undertaken in Central Otago, but the con- , struction of two additional reservoirs is under way. With Unemployment Fund assistance, they will pay a full return on the invested capital. The Maniototo scheme includes a dam of very low cost which will impound some 300,000 acre-feet, or more than four times the content of all the dams so far built. It will provide sufficient water to irrigate the whole of the 90,000 acres of irrigable land in tho Maniototo Plains. The total cost of the scheme, however, would be approximately £1,400,000, and it would not be financially sound unless extremely liberal aid were given from the Unemployment Fund. Nevertheless, in Mr. Bitchener's opinion, the project is well worth further consideration by the Government, as land is of excellent quality and urgently in meed of water. Irrigation in Canterbury, though perhaps not so vitally needed as in Central Otago, can be undertaken much more cheaply. As the demand for it is likely to increase, a fairly considerable Bum is being spent on surveying water resources and estimating the amount of irrigation needed to obtain the best results from the soil. Ia this, other departments are giving valuable help. The measurements of river-flow have an additional value for electric-power development, general water supplies and bridge construction. A thorough topographic survey of the whole province is well advanced. The first Canterbury irrigation project, the Redcliff scheme, has been commenced, and about 80 men are employed upon it. An area of 4600 acres, will be affected, and it is expected that water will be available this summer. During last season 38,027 acres were irrigated in Central Otago by 402 irrigators. This is slightly more than the previous season, but is abbut 4000 acres less than would have been irrigated had the irrigators who were in arrears with their rates aot been compelled to pay for water iii advance. Owing, no doubt, to the decline in wool prices from oi: the previous year, payments for irrigation water were slightly less than for the preceding season, being £21,835, as against £22,132. Unfortunately the total arrears on water rates still amounts to £12,534. Investigations into th& financial position of those irrigators who are in arrears are r.ow being made by the Otago Mortgagors' Relief Commission, with a view to hardening up on the conditions of service and taking more rigorous methods to secure payment. EMPLOYMENT SCHEMES LAND IMPROVEMENT LAST YEAR'S RESULTS ————— S>. [BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIA'.D REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Thursday The largfj aggregate of improvement work done by unemployed under the control of the Public Works Department during the year 1934-35 is demonstrated by return included in the Public Works Statement. The weekly average number of men engaged over the whole year was 6774. Some of the more important items in the schedule of work accomplished are as follows: Dray-roads formed, 144 miles; widened, 81 mi.es; metalled, 400 miles. Stumping and logging—heavy, 3397 acres; light, 1716 acres. Scrub-cutting, 17,032 acres; bushfeliing, 89 acres; hawthorn-hedge cutting, 12J miles. Sand-dune reclamation—Marram grass and lupin planting, 5000 acres. Farm lands cleared of boulders, ploughed and sown, 2204 acres; land cleared of noxious weeds, 993 acres; fencing, 130 miles. Small Farm Schemes.—Fencing, 61 miles; bushfelling, 92 acres; buildings erected (cottages and milking sheds), 110; land cleared, 1869 acres; ploughed, etc., 1262 acres; sown in grass or crops,. 513 acres; drains laid, li miles; stumping and logging, 567 acres. Aerodrome Construction.—Scrub-cut-ting, 65 acres; land levelling, 63 acres; returfing and top-dressing, 26 acres. Other works detailed concern irrigation, river-control and land drainage. ROAD CONSTRUCTION GREATER EXPENDITURE BENEFIT TO SETTLERS [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Thursday State expenditure from capital funds on road construction and metalling in 1934-35, namely, £688,566, was £136,615 greater than in the preceding year, according to the Public Works Statement. The expenditure on roads other than main highways was £371,573 and on main highways £316,992, compared with £359,671 and £192,279 respectively. Roading, even if main highways are disregarded, is still a major public works activity, states the Minister, Hon. J. Bitchener. When framing the estimates for the present and two previous years preference has been given to metalling of existing settlement roads, although, of course, provision has had to be made for construction of roads, including bridges, to new settlements and older localities without road access. Last year approximately 303 miles of dray road were reformed or formed by the department and the various local bodies under subsidy from the Public Works Fund, and, in addition, approximately 714 miles werefe metalled. Tho figures for the previous year were 242 miles reformed or formed and 578 miles metalled. The benefit to the country, and particularly to the farming community, cannot be overestimated, says the Minister, and doubtless the provision of essential all-weather access has encouraged and assisted numerous settlers in outlying districts to carry on during the period of prices.