WAIHOPAI RIVER

Southland Times, Issue 21649, 10 March 1932, Page 8

WAIHOPAI RIVER

EXPEDITING DRAINAGE WORK. SPECIAL RATING DISTRICT. To enable necessary drainage work to be carried out on their properties, ratepayers within the recently abolished Waihopai River Board’s district from Kennington westwards decided at a public meeting in the Gladstone Hall last evening to form a special rating area. For the purpose’ of obtaining signatures for the petition without delay, a committee of seven ratepayers was set up. The meeting was convened by Mr James McNeill, chairman of the Southland County Council, who presided over an attendance of 20 ratepayers. The County Council was also represented by Councillor R. Baird, Mr A. J. Service (clerk) and Mr B. C. Basstian (engineer), as well as its legal adviser. The Invercargill City Council was represented by his Worship the Mayor (Mr John Miller), the Town Clerk (Mr C. L. Grange) and the city engineer (Mr F. M. Corkill). The chairman said that the principal reason for the meeting being held was to explain to the ..ratepayers why the Southland County Council had not gone on with the work in a similar way to other drainage schemes in Southland. There were difficulties, however, confronting the council which prevented it from doing this. Some months previously the County Council decided that the only way progress could be made on the work was for the residents affected to form a river board. For this purpose increased powers were obtained, but these, Mr McNeill contended, were not sufficient to meet requirements. The County Council then came to the conclusion that it could not carry out the work in a similar way to smaller drainage schemes. After expressing pleasure at seeing present his Worship the Mayor and other representatives of the City Council, Mr McNeill said that the City Council was very keen to see the work put in hand as it was interested in a large block of land which, with improvements, would become an asset to Invercargill. At Mr McNeill’s request the legal adviser explained why the County Council had been unable to go ahead with the work. The County Council had undertaken smaller drainage works where there was complete unanimity on the part of the residents concerned. Under the act the county had the power to recover by way of special rate from the people consenting, but in a big job it was not possible to go ahead by this agreement. The amendment to the Finance Act of last year was of very little assistance. Mr McNeill had certainly done his best in the matter, but the authorities in Wellington had not looked far enough ahead. The position was that if every resident did not sign the petition the County Council would not have a claim on those unwilling but benefiting ones. Not possessing this power the county would be liable also to claims for damages through either trespassing or else harm to property. To overcome the difficulty the speaker submitted two alternate proposals, one being to form a special rating area and the other to go ahead with the formation of a river district. Under the Southland Drainage Act it was impossible for the County Council to do the work with safety as regarding the recovery of moneys or claims for damages. . Mr McNeill said that in all relief works overhead costs, with the exception of the payment of actual wages, had to be found by somebody. If it were decided to make a new cut through Elies Road an additional bridge would require to be erected. Provision would also have to be made for floodgates which cost would not be borne by the Unemployment Board, but by the

property-owners concerned. The Southland County Coiincil did not possess sufficient money to improve farm lands nor did it think it wise to borrow for that purpose. A general discussion followed in tho course of which the county solicitor, replying to a questioner, said that a River Board would have statutory powers, not possessed by the County Council, enabling it to recover rates. To another questioner Mr Basstian said that the erection of three floodgates would cost £231, all of which would have to be borne by the ratepayers •Mr McNeill said that owing to its size the scheme should be split up. There was no guarantee that the system of relief labour would be available until the drainage work was carried through to Kennington. If after proceeding for a year the work was held up before the farmers at Kennington derived any benefit, they would nevertheless be unable to escape contributing towards the cost of the work done lower down.

The formation of a special rating district would be the best plan, was the opinion given by the county solicitor. After further discussion Mr J. F. Forde moved: “That a special rating district be formed of the area as shown on the present petition for a river district.” This was seconded by Mr B. Edginton and on a show of hands was declared carried.

An amendment by Mr H. Rubber that a river board area be formed between Elies Road and Kennington was withdrawn when Mr McNeill gave an assurance that the cost of the floodgates would be borne out of the funds of the Awarua and Wallacetown ridings of the Southland County Council. The following were appointee! a committee to get the petition signed as quickly as possible: Messrs J. F. Forde, B. Edginton, C. Christie, H. Rubber, C. Fairweather, J. A. Ferguson and C. Todd, Mr Edginton to act as secretary.