C.—B

From a _ pre-war strength of over two hundred, the labour force employed on the Hauraki Plains has declined to about forty workmen. Because of the critical labour situation, all less-essential work has been curtailed, and the effects of postponed maintenance work will be felt in the immediate post-war years. All available labour has been employed on drain-maintenance for the benefit of productive farms on the settled areas, and practically no labour has been available for drains maintenance work on an area of 12,000 acres which is under development in this district. This is particularly unfortunate, because a considerable area of this land had reached a stage when rapid progress was possible. The peat land under pre-settlement development is served by over two hundred miles of drains, and most of these drains must be deepened periodically, as the land subsides. For five years no labour has been available for deepening these drains, and thousands of acres on which a preliminary pasture had been established are unfortunately reverting to swamp growth and bog. With the changing war picture, attention is now being focused on plans for overtaking deferred maintenance and construction work as soon as man-power is available. It is hoped _ that the _ immediate post-war years will see work resumed on many interrupted activities, including the roading construction necessary to complete the roading system of the district, One problem is the means of financing an annual expenditure of at least £3,000 for maintenance dredging of the improved river channels and main canals. It is now nine to fifteen years since construction and improvement work on these channels was completed, and they are rapidly deteriorating and in need of maintenance dredging. Good progress has been made during the year with the work of reconstructing the river and foreshore stop-banks. The Hauraki Gulf foreshore stop-banks have now been raised and considerably enlarged between the mouth of the Waitakaruru Stream and the Waihou River, a distance of approximately 10| miles. The stop-banks on the left bank of the Piako and Waihou Rivers have been similarly treated for distances of about 40 chains and 120 chains respectively up-stream from the river mouths. Three drag-line excavators have been continuously employed throughout the year, and another machine of this type returned to work in the district in May after an absence of twelve months, during which time it was engaged principally on defence work. No. 15 Bucyrus Excavator.—This machine reconstructed 176 chains of stop-bank on the Hauraki Gulf foreshore between peg 5 miles 45 chains and peg 7 miles 61 chains and also enlarged the outlet of French's drain for a distance of 11 chains. In 290 workingdays the plant moved 60,507 cubic yards of earth at unit cost of 7-9 d. No. 16 Bucyrus Excavator has been engaged on the construction of the Maukoro Canal. _ Working down-stream on the left bank between peg 6 miles 49 chains and 4 miles 62_ chains, it has been widening and deepening the canai for a distance of 147 chains, using the spoil to form a roadway on the canal bank. Some bank caving behind the machine will necessitate further work on this bank when it has had time to consolidate. In 193 working-days this excavator handled 40,790 cubic yards of material at a cost of H'sd. per cubic yard. Progress has been retarded by difficult working-conditions and breakdowns. No. 29 Bay City Excavator. —This machine was released from defence work, and resumed work in the district after a workshop overhaul in May, 1944. Until the end of July the plant was engaged on drain and bridge construction on the Paratu Block. It was then railed to Kopu and moved by road to Hopai, where it commenced stop-bank reconstruction on the left bank of the Piako River. The bank is being raised in two lifts, and the first lift has been completed between Hopai and Pipiroa, a distance of 129 chains. For a distance of 8 chains at Pipiroa the bank was built by carting the material with motor-trucks loaded by the excavator. In 187 working-days the machine handled '18,728 cubic yards of earth, at a cost of 12-sd. per cubic yard. Time lost by truck stoppages due to wet weather has increased the unit cost. No. 31 liuston Bucyrus Excavator.—This machine has been continuously engaged on stop-bank reconstruction on the banks of the Waihou River in the Orongo Settlements. Owing to recent erosion of the river-bank, it was found necessary to move the stop-bank 1 chain to 2 chains inland for a distance of 30 chains. The excavator placed 47,530 cubic yards of earth into 1 mile 45 chains of completed stop-bank at a unit cost of 7-57 d. Land-development In the land-development, field, work has been confined to attending to 3,000 cattle and 6,000 sheep depastured on the land which is being prepared for settlement, repairs to fences, which have to be lowered at intervals of two to three years as the land subsides, control of noxious weeds, and efforts to control the regrowth of manuka and blackberry by harrowing and rolling with tractors. The ferry service across the Piako River at Kaihere was interrupted for a period of fifteen days during which the pontoon was repaired at Kerepeehi. This timber pontoon, which is showing signs of age and decay, must be replaced in the near future. The pumping-station serving an area of 3,900 acres in the Kerepeehi Block was in use only twenty-nine hours during the year. As a general rule, this area requires pumping only when the Piako River level remains at or above ground-level at low tides, and the little use made of the pump this year is due to the absence of flood-producing storms.

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