DOWNLAND SCHEME

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21184, 3 November 1938, Page 5

DOWNLAND SCHEME

Question of Exemptions Levels County Council Concerned Investigation To Be Made That the Levels Council has not, according to its minutes, approved of any exemptions from the Downlands Water Supply Scheme was the discovery made at the monthly meeting yesterday when a long discussion took place on the rights of some properties to exemption. Reports made some months ago by the representative appointed by the Council to interview land owners had never come before the Council for approval, according to the statement of one member, and an examination of the minute book revealed that no minutes showed the Council as having approved of exemptions. It was certain, said the chairman, Mr T. B. Garrick, that the Council itself had not granted exemption to anyone although the people thought it had done so and the Council had thought the same thing. The discussion arose when Mr Garrick stated that a meeting at Temuka had discussed the exemptions and the Public Works Department could not proceed with he work until it knew for certain over which properties the pipes were to be laid. The meeting decided to obtain a report on the position from the County solicitor and the County Clerk, and to consider the matter further at a special meeting in about two weeks' time. Exemptions Because of Dams There had been a meeting at Temuka on Tuesday night to discuss the Downlands Water Supply Scheme, and it would appear that .he Council had exempted a number of people who should not have been exempted, said the chairman, Mr T. B. Garrick. It would probably be necessary to go over the position again. It seemed that some had been exempted because they had dams and that was not sufficient for exemption. The Council had to guarantee to pay £5200 to the Government to finance the scheme, and with so many exemptions in doubt it would probably be advisable to revise the position. The Public Works must know who were exempted so that they could proceed with the scheme, he continued, and they were holding it up now, as they said the Council had no business to give exemptions on some of the

properties on which .t had been granted. He pointed out that there were five more applications for consideration at that meeting, “We cannot start cutting up properties now,” said Mr Grant. It was a question of £ s. d. said Mr Garrick. It would !>e unfair to permit some property holders to withdraw at the present stage, as it would load the other ratepayers with additional cost. Many applications had no indication as to why exemption should be "-ranted, said the clerk (Mr G. B. Bird) when it was suggested that all applications should be revised to find out the reason for exemption in all cases. The meeting at Temuka had been called to find out how many were going to be exempted, said Mt Garrick. New applications for inclusion had come from Upper Pareora and Hilton and they had been turned down until the Council knew how much water was finally wanted. Part of the Mackenzie County now desired *n come in. Another Meeting Necessary Evidently the Council would have to have another meeting of all the .people. He did not see how they could hold up the scheme now, as the pipes had been ordered, but as much more territory was included than was originally planned possibly larger pipes would be necessary. “Once the scheme is in operation the people now objecting will be breaking their necks to be included in the scheme," said Mr J. E. P. Cameron. It would take some time to investigate the position, said the clerk. The Council had given instructions that a dam was not sufficient reason for exemption, Mr Garrick said. If the Council’s representative had acted on those instructions no one would have been granted exemption on these grounds. There were about a dozen cases where it had been granted for that reason. Tire clerk stated that no resolutions were shown or the Council’s minutes in which exemption was granted. “To my mind we have not given anyone exemption,” said Mr Garrick. The irrigation engineer (Mr T. G. Beck) said the whole thing rested with the Council. So far people had only been recommended for exemption said Mr R. G. Cleland and another member sa! ’ reports indicated that the Council representative and the farmers had agreed on exemption but that did not prove those people had exemption. The agreement signed by the Council’s representative rnd land owners or occupiers stated that "the undersigned hereby agree that portion of the property owned or occupied is entitled to exemption from the Downlands Water Supply district under the provisions of the Water Supply Act, 1938,” said Mr Bird.

Has To Be Proved “That man reckons he is exempted,” said Mr Garrick. “Yes, but it has got to be approved by the Council,” said Mr Cameron, who said the council had not sent its representative to grant exemptions, but to investigate, who was entitled to exemptions. If exemptions had been granted on the grounds of dams it was not right. The Council had to approve of the reports and recommendations of its representative. Mr Cleland: A fair rule to go by is that if a man has not got a scheme that will give him a service as good as he would get from the Downlands scheme he should not be given exemption. Mr D. T. McPhedran, the Council’s representative, was then questioned by the members regarding the survey. Mr McPhedran said he had exempted in no cases with dams giving water to the farms. Several said they had springs and he had agreed to exemption where there was permanent water and then he had not given total exemption. He cited several examples. Mr Garrick: There were men at the meeting at Temuka who said people had been given exemption and all they had were “stinking pools.” “I Inspected all the properties,” said Mr McPhedran. Some said they had springs and some were not in the area. Might Have Pulled His Leg “They might have pulled your leg about the springs,” said a member to Mr McPhedran. Mr McPhedran: I asked one man if he could prove he had a spring and

he wanted to know if I could prove it was not a spring. No exemption had been given to dams, he continued. He had many arguments about dams, but insisted that the only cause for exemption was where there were springs. He had not examined the source of the water. The trouble was that the Public Works men did not know which properties the pipes were to go through, said the chairman. The Council had not exempted any of the people, said Mr Cameron. He was certain at least one of those that had said his water came from a spring got his water from a dam. “Will the Council have to start all over again in the matter?” asked the chairman. No Risk Should Be Taken No risk should be taken of exempting people with dams, said Mr Cameron. Mr Bird: The Council would be liable. It would be better to go through the whole thing again than to get into trouble, said Mr Cameron. The Council would have to set to work and do the whole Job again. If every “Tom, Dick and Harry” gained exemption the Council would have no money at all. “The way It is now is that we do not seem to be consistent,” said Mr Munro. They were exempting some and not others. “Are we going to sustain the objections or not?” asked Mr Garrick. Several members stated the position should be revised. The exemptions did not comply with the Act, said Mr Grant. The Council had to keep to the Act, said Mr Cameron. There were any number of springs spurting from the ground in places in which they had never been seen before. These springs would dry up. as they were merely seepage due to heavy rain in the gullies. “Do you want the position revised?” asked Mr Garrick. "Yes,” replied several members. The Council did not appear to have done anything wrong except that it had not confirmed its representative’s report, said Mr Garrick. Far too many exemptions had been advised in the report which the Council had not seen, as far as he knew, said Mr Grant. It was decided to hold the matter over until the special meeting in about two weeks’ time, when the Council would consider a report on the position by the County solicitor and the County clerk in conjunction.