AWAITI AND HAURAKI DRAINAGE.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5478, 23 April 1917, Page 3

AWAITI AND HAURAKI DRAINAGE.

IMPORTANT MEETING.

ADVISORY BOARD FORMED.

The meeting convened by the committee of the Netherton branch of

the Farmers’ Union of all interested

in the Waihou and Ohinemuri River Improvement Works, and also the cleaning out of the Awaiti stream and districts that are dependent upon these works being completed for its drainage, was held in Coronation Chambers, Paeroa, on Wednesday last. Mr Pierce Grace, chairman of the Ohinemuri County Council, occupied the chair, and there were also present by invitation Mr. H. Poland, M.P., Mr H. R. Young, Assistant Engineer of the Public Works Department; Messrs. J. B. Thompson and Logan, engineers for the Hauraki Drainage area; and the following delegates: Messrs. W. K. McLean and J. Munro, representing the Netherton Farmers’ Union; Messrs. Wright and Bagnall, Turua Drainage Board; Mr Horn, Elstow Drainage Board; Mr Laughlin Ohinemuri County Council; Mr A. R. Robinson, Komata North Farmers’ Union; Mr H. E. Hill, Awaiti settlers; Mr A. A. Wagstaff, Waitoa Drainage Board; Mr M. H. Wynyard, Auckland Chamber of Commerce (unofficially); Messrs. E. W. Porritt and George Buchanan. Paeroa Chamber of Commerce; Mr R. Wiggins, Tirohia Progressive League; Mr G. H. Keeling, Rotokohu and Tirohia Drainage area; Messrs. Towers and Taylor, Paeroa Borough Council; Mr Hughes, Piako County Council; Mr F. Strange, Te Aroha Chamber of Commerce; Mr W. R. Johnson, Waitoa and Hunga Hunga Drainage Boards. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs. Clothier, Walters and Rayner, Te Aroha. In extending a welcome to the delegates the chairman trusted that some good would result from their deliberations and called upon the convener, Mr W. K. McLean, to speak. Mr McLean said that what had led up to the meeting of delegates being called was the outcome of a meeting that had been held with reference to getting the Awaiti Stream cleaned out. A deputation had waited on Mr Logan, assistant engineer of the Hauraki Drainage Board, to talk over the matter of cleaning out the stream. He explained that it would be waste of time to clean it out because it would fill up again. Knowing the Haurake Drainage Engineers had not the money to go on with the whole of the work the settlers had formed a special drainage area for the purpose of raising about £6,000. This they considered would solve the difficulties in that part to a great extent, but before they could do any work stop-banks were required on the Waihou at Tirohia to prevent the flooding of the Awaiti. II the Awaiti canal was put in first and a flood came the settlers lower down the river than Kerepeehi would be flooded out. The idea was tc form an advisory board and let it decide in what order the improvement works would be done. They quite realised something had to be done before they could get their canal, and they wanted to put their shoulders to the wheel and help others. By doing this they would get the canal much sooner. Mr McLean said that he would like it clearly understood that any board that may be formed from the meeting was not with the idea of interfering with any of the existing acts or methods in existence. He •also trusted that they would be able to get the Government to recognise the Board and listen lo its rccor

The board would deal ii complaints and decide in wTiat order the work would be done and in that way the department would be saved listening to small bodies and deputations. He mcvecl: — 1. That this meeting of delegates and representatives of local bodies

mencial i<>ns with

and institutions interested urges up on the Government the necessity fo<. expediting and completing its pro--tective works and incidental opera-1 tions on the Waihou River in order to prevent the continual flooding -

the lands now affected thereby Mr. Porritt seconded the resolution. Mr. Wagstaff asked if it would be decided how far it would be necessary to improve the Waihou River. Mr. McLean replied that the Waihou River could be improved right to the top of its tail.

The chairman said the question might arise as to whether funds would be available for that purpose.' If the funds were to come out of the Ohinemuri Rivers improvement,* scheme it might be a matter for tijte drainage of the lower portions, a*, certain sums of money have been set aside for certain works.

Mr. Strange said that this mattei | was discussed when the Hon. Ministe.i 3 for Public Works was here, and a lot | of them had thought that the work I of erecting the stop-banks was goingl to be proceeded with right up the! river, and that when the commission | sat here some years ago the recon-m | mendations were omitted in the Act J £150,000 was set aside to carry out | certain works. They had now been go- | ing for nearly seven years and out | of that only £50,000 had been spent, | Certain engineering and office work I "had to be carried out but the work,! Was being gone on with very slowly. | The chairman said that half tliej interest is paid out of gold duly, onesixth by mining and the other sixrh] from an area to be agreed upon. j Mr. Buchanan said that one of the 1 great difficulties was that the area ■set aside for rating was very small 'The River Board area only consisted of about 6,000 acres, and that was fhe only area on which rates could be raised., The works when, completed would benefit probably 300,000 acres, and it seemed absurd that only 6,000 acres could be rated for it The resolution was put to the meeting and carried. Mr. McLean then proposed the following:— 2. That this meeting strongly sup’ports the efforts of the Net.herton Branch of the Auckland Farmers’ Union to constitute a special drainage board for the purpose of deepening and widening the Awaiti Stream for land drainage purposes.

In doing so he said that although The Awaiti Stream was one which the Government intended to do, it was tonly a case of not having dredges or imoney to do it at times like this, It WafS almost impossible to get anything done with public money, and if we'wanted it done the only way to tlo was to say: “Well, here is the money.” He wanted the support of this meeting to help them in their ‘efforts to get this board constituted. The resolution was seconded By Mr Wright. . The following resolution was then :read by Mr. McLean. • 3. That a board be formed for the

purpose of forwarding the resolution of tiiis conference and of dealing with any matters .that may arise incidental thereto, such board to consist of a representative from each or

the following bodies and institutions;

Ohinemuri County Council, Thames County Council, Paeroa Borough Council, Auckland Chamber of Commerce, Paeroa Chamber of Commerce, Komata North Farmers’ Union, Te Aroha Chamber 9f Commerce, Waihi Borough Council, Piako County Council, Netherton Farmers’ Union, Patetonga Farmers’ Union, Hauraki Drainage Board, Hungahunga Drainage Board, Tirohia Progressive Leagues, Waitoa Drainage Board, Elstow Drainage Board, Northern Steam Ship Company, Engineer of Public Works, Engineer of Hauraki Plains Drainage Department, Engineer appointed by the Board, With power to the Mining Companies interested to appoint a representative. Board to continue until the objects are effected. Five members of the Board to form a quorum, and Board to have full power to make rules for the giving of its decisions and the conduct of its business generally. In reply to a question he said the Board was to continue until the objects were effected and to have full power for the giving of decisions and the conduct of business generally., That Board if it was once formed could then discuss matters that they were all dying to get done, but the object in getting this meeting together was that while one section wanted the Waihou River cleaned out, others did not want it cleaned out; another wanted stop-banks put up immediately, others did not want them. The Awaiti people wanted the Awaiti Canal but w-anted the stop banks first. They must have some Board that will arrange the order in which pressure shall be brought to bear to get these things done and that Board will act as a sort of “governor.” There is nothing to prevent the work of the stop-banks being gone on with. They could construct the canal two or three miles without hurting anybody. The Board will decide how many things could be gone on with at once, and if they could have the advice and assistance of the ; two engineers, with an engineer appointed by the Board, the Government could not tell them that they j were only amateur engineers because they would have their own engineers i to advise them.

Mr. Strange said he was quite in favour of supporting this resolution, at the same time he thought the things should be discussed fully by this meeting because supposing a Board were set up there would not be the same general discussion as there would be now; he did not mean with regard to details, but with regard to the local control and the possibility of extending the area under which they could be rated. He thought those were matters which could be better discussed at this meeting.

Mr. Horn said the Waihou River appeared to have been entirely left out, andpar t. of this will enter into the lower end of the Piako and Waitoa. He suggested that the Board to be constituted should have representatives from these areas.

Mr. Wagstaff said it was a very wide question, that if money was to be raised he to ok it that it was to be raised by rating; he did not know whether they could get their grants from the Government, he would like

o suggest that works that are put n hand should be scheduled, and .hat the Waihou River, for instance, should have some benefit. He would

like lo see the money scheduled because it had nearly always been spent whore it did not benefit anybody. With regard to Mr. Horn’s contention he d'd not know whether they were going to be interested in the river question unless the Waihou River wore included.

Mr. Porritt said he thought Mr Wagstaff was under a misapprehension as regards the question of raising money. There had been £150,000 already raised for the purpose of carrying out these works, and the suggestion is that this Board be set up us an advisory board to see that ■ at money is expended as it ought to oe expended for the benefit of all.

Mr Horn asked would the meeting he prepared to add a representative from the Waitoa Drairiage Board. Mr. Wright said as this was an Advisory Board he thought Waitoa should be represented.

The chairman said that he thought it only right that the mining interests should be included because gold duty bore half the cost of this scheme besides bearing half the cost. They were rated one sixth after two thirds was taken out of the gold duty. Mr. Munro said he thought any oilier body interested should be represented Mr. Keeling thought that the Rotokohu and Tirohia Drainage area should be included.

Mr. Hughes proposed that Hunga Hunga be included. Mr. Wynyard suggested that the Waihi Borough Council should be included, as they were undoubtedly interested, and with that exception he thought any person likely to be interested was provided for.

Mr. McLean said he had added Waihi and Hunga Hunga.

After adding and reading out the list of names included the resolution was put to the meeting and carried. Mr McLean said if each of the institutions mentioned represented here would appoint the best men surely they ought to get a strong board.

Mr Buchanan said he would now like to move that the rating area of the River Improvements Scheme be re-considered by the Government to take- in all lands benefited by the River Improvements, and went on to say that there was no doubt that a very great area was not included which would be affected by these river works, and they could contribute to the cost of the scheme. The Minister for Public Works had expressed this opinion, and he thought that a resolution from this Board to that effect would carry weight. Mr. Strange seconded the resolution which was carried.

Mr. Taylor said with regard to the dual control of the works oiver the Hauraki Plains Improvements Scheme he thought this meeting of delegates should in some way have presented a very strong, recommendation to the Government and try and see if they could not get one department to control the whole thing. Mr. Strange said he did not think at the present time matters could very well be put under one control but he thought they might move towards getting local control, and he would like to move a resolution that “It be advisable that the Board provided for by the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement Act be set up at the completion of the work

should be set up at an earlier date.” Mr McLaren seconded this resolution which was carried. Mr. McLean said that they were anxious to get the Awaiti Canal done they quite realised that they could get it done ahead of anything else but were willing to rate themselves for the money and were willing to give the Government and the Hauraki Drainage Board all the assistance possible to get it done, Mr Wynyard seconded the resolution.

Mr Thomson said that the dredging of the Awaiti had always formed part of their scheme, they always intended to dredge the Awaiti. In fact some years ago they had half a mile or so done but found it more advantageous to do a lot of the other country which offered more advantage than the Awaiti. Any canal existing there at the present time would only give them more trouble. It would not be safe to put the Canal there until the stop banks were up. The chairman then put the resolution to the meeting which was carried.

Mr. Porritt said that the natives had a great interest in the discussion and that Mr. Haora wished to be allowed to speak. Mr. Haora stated that at an interview with the Commissioner it has been decided that compensation for silt damage had been suggested and it was to go to the Public Works to make stop-banks and the Government were to dredge the river up to the Silt Works and the Silt Works were to do the rest and all the slime was to be put on the land. This happened years ago since the mines started and the Maoris have always asked the Government to favour them by carrying out this river business and Mr. Kimball promised at that meeting that a canal was to be cut through Pereniki’s Bend and the portion of the land below was to be stop-banked unless it was unnecessary.

The chairman then put it to the meeting that it had been proposed and seconded that the delegates present advance the interests of the natives and place the matter before the Minister. This was carried. A committee was then set up to interview the Minister. Mr. Wynyard suggested that a date should be arranged for the first meeting of this Board that was constituted. When the Minister for Public works was here he informed us that he was not going to complete any works further up the river until be had made provision further down the river and that he would give the matter full consideration and let us know and it was up to them to get data and make a representation to him so as to get something definite for that first meeting. Mr Young said he had received no information about any scheme. The chairman said that he thought what he intended was to have a scheme propounded and when it was ready, to submit it to the people interested. Mr. Young asked whether the farmers below the Puke Bridge were in favour of the Works being carried out above Tirohia. Mr. Buchanan explained that a Board had been appointed to suggest which Works were to be carried out first so as to have unity throughout the whole district and so as to have the whole population of ratepayers in the area. Mr. Buchanan also said that with regard to a date being fixed for the first meeting of the Board he proposed that this day month be fixed, that would give the various bodies an opportunity of viewing the situation in the meantime Mr Strange seconded the motion. Mr. Robinson in answer to Mr. Young said he did not think the settlers below the Puke Bridge would object to the work being carried out. On Mr. Buchanan’s proposition Mr. McLean be acting secretary pro tern and Mr. Grace chairman. Mr Buchanan said one of the question he wanted to bring forward was that in the event of the Waihou and Ohinemuri Improvements Act being amended that it be the aim of the Board to have as far as possible the suggestions of the Royal Commission contained in the amended Act in their entirety or as near as possible to give the Board something to work on. Mr. Munro seconded the resolution which-was carried. Mr. Young said that from an engineering point of view the Royal Commission had very few figures to work from, there were not many rainfall statistics and very little flood data. Their suggestions were likely to be modified later on or altered. Mr Taylor said he would like to suggest as instruction to the Board that the Ohinemuri River from the Junction to the Cut be kept clear of tailings and also that portion were the Nararahi Cut down to the old Junction b"e also kept clear. Mr Young said that regular soundings were taken at intervals of about a month of these rivers and as soon as there was any serious silting up the matter would be dealt with from an engineering point of view, he thought these matters would be dealt with very competently by engineers and others. Mr. Taylor’s suggestions were seconded by Mr. Buchanan and carried. Mr. Strange said that the Board should watch the interests of the settlers in the Valley, as regards navigation.