PROPOSED DRAINAGE FOR SPRINGVALE AREA

Wanganui Chronicle, 9 March 1949, Page 6

PROPOSED DRAINAGE FOR SPRINGVALE AREA

"It may be that people with sections * sell would like to see the district served with a sewerage scheme but the question of costs is the all-im-portant question, especially if it has to be carried by a limited number of ratepayers,” stated a letter from Mr. F. W. Gould concerning the proposed Springvale drainage schemes, received at yesterday’s meeting of the Waitotara County Council. Mr. Gould suggested that the first thing to do was to change the rating system from improved to unimproved value to make sure that the burden was spread fairly. ‘I venture to suggest that most of the people now living at Springvale have already solved their individual drainage problems and for furl her developments are prepared to wait until the city has settled and drained the area between Selwyn Crescent and Parsons Street. Then perhaps a chance to join up with the city scheme would be possible. A few years will no doubt pass before that state arrives,’’ stated Mr. Gould. After reminding the council that when Mr. T. Dix was in office a move was made to pass on the trouble to the city fathers, Mr. Gould stated that a promise had been made that no further move would be made until the council had called a meeting of ratepayers and placed before them particulars of the schemes and the estimated costs. He suggested that the promise should still be kept. Mr. Gould asked if, now that riding acounts system was abolished it would be possible and reasonable to spread the cost of any scheme over the whole county? If the rates collected from the Mosston riding amounted to £7OO how much more it would be necessary to collect to finance a scheme costing, say, £20,000? Would it be possible to alter the rating system of any portion of the county without altering the whole from improved to unimproved? Did the county engineer know of any alternative scheme to the city proposal that would be suitable for Springvale ? The clerk (Mr. W. B. Broadhead said that the question of the Springvale drainage scheme had been raised by the Health Department.

"Tell him that is a nice one,” was the comment of a councillor on the first question asked by Mr. Gould. The chairman (Mr. G. Palmer) considered the remainder of the council should not be called on to bear the cost of a drainage scheme for the Springvale area. The council instructed the clerk to reply to Mr. Gould’s Jitter.