RECLAMATION OF THE LAGOON.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 490, 23 November 1877, Page 2

RECLAMATION OF THE LAGOON.

A deputation fn.nu the Municipal Council, cons.sting of the .Mayor, Co meillors Gibbs, Booth, Mainland, and Liddell, accompanied by the Corpora!i..ll ■ii"inecr (Mr M'L oil) waited upon t:ie Board for t .-j purpose of bringing under its notion the adv.sauiliiy of steps being taken to abate t e nuisance arising from the pruS lit stite of tile lagoon. Tne deputation having been introduced by Ins Worsaip the M iyor, Councilor G.bbs sail they bad b>en deputed by the Municipal Council to wait upon tiie Board wit 1 reference to improvements which had become necessary to be effected in tiie lagoon. It had long been considered advisable that some steps should be taken with reference to the drainage which flowed into the lagoon, as well as to devise some means of procuring a complete s3 - stein of drainage for 'he town. The Corporation Engineer had been instructed to report upon the matter, and had n c unn't nded taat the ci\ ek should be utilised fur the purpose of drainage. The Council thought that by the united choris of tuo Hal hour Board and the Council a complete system of drainage could be untamed. It, was prop ise I to reclaim a portion of the i,ii;ouii, and form a antial watercourse. As the lagoon was t!ie property of t; e Harbour D.iard, the proposed work viould be of immense advantage lo the ISoard in a iiemetaiy sense. It was ausoiutily necessir_y that something should lie done in regir.l co toe lago-.m from a sanitary point of view. f,,r tt was rapidly becoming a pu->lic nu.s nice, and a cesspool f..r tiie i\c-ption of ail kinds <f tilth. With ngard to t!ie proposal to bridge the lagoon between Tyne-s reet. and LJumberstivet, the. Council was prepared to meet the Board in a liberal sp r t with regard to the cost of the work, which wonM be a "feat advantage both to the B .aid and io tiie town. Tin- Corporation Euginet r (Mr. M"Leod), in comp'iaiice with the retpu-st of the Counc 1, had pr< p ued a report setting forth his idea of tne best mode of dealing with the lagoon, and a plan of t e proposed works. Me did not !..,-.ink he cmld do better than \>.y the report and phin before the Board, as they would convey a better id.ra of tiie Engineer's proposals thai he coti'.d give. T ie report and plan prepared by Mr. M'L'od having been ban led in. tie C.iairmau suggested that Air. M'L.o.t might road the re)!Tt to the Board. After some explanation by his Worship the Mayor ;is to t e peeul.ar position in which the Corporation Engineer was placed by !>eing called upon io .submit a report dealing with Harbour Board inatfc, i-o', while t..e Board iiad an Engineer of its own, Mr. M'L hi reti through his report, but w.iic'i is of too Ie igtoy a nature to be ins rre I in our p.e-ent : sme. Counci lor Gib!is tin 11 sa.d tSiat the d - pntatioii wi.u'd leave t-.e matter in the hands of t ie Board ft. deal with, and he trusted they woul I consider t ie proposal favourably, as tie carrying out of t.ie work would be of inutu-l atlvantaa 1 .

T:ie CJiiainnari assured the deputation that tie Board would take the matter into its earnest consideration. T-ie.v could scircely do so at tiie present meeting, as tin re was only a thin attendance of "mem hers ; but the Board would probably hold a soeeial meeting for the purpose of considering tic matter in a 1 its bearings, and he would f.r.wr.l a reply to the Council :it the. earli. sr..opportunity. At present ie must say ti.at it appear, d to Jinn that the work was lik..-ly to be one of mutual advantage to all p ifties. Tne deputation tiien thanked the Board and withdrew.

After some discussion, in which several members spoke of the advantages which were likely to accrue from tho carrying out of tbe proposed work, it was resolved that the matter sho.ild be fully considered at a meeting of the Board to lie held tin's clay fortnig it; and that in the meantime the report and plan submitted by the deputation should be forwarded to tiie Board's Engineer for his report thereon, with a request to him to attend the meeting.