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Old Waterloo : Production in this section is confined mainly to splitting and robbing pillars, a percentage of which must be left for the purpose of supporting creeks on the surface. Extension Section : In the bottom seam the artificial barrier has been completed by a number of concrete stoppings so as to allow of pillar-extraction when desired. Above this area in the top seam the same procedure is being adopted, and much more coal will be recovered from this area than what was at first anticipated due to excessive falls in the old roadways which have been negotiated by judicious splitting of the pillars. Surface Operations. —Birchalls Opencast Area : Some preparatory work has been done on the formation of the access road from the bus-sheds, and the arrival of the machines to develop this area is now awaited. Plateau Area : Much preparatory work has been done in this area— i.e., access road, winch-house, with winch installed, compressor sheds, with two air-compressors installed, poles and power-lines for transmission of electric power, temporary substation, a scraper-loader has been fabricated, and the stone drive portals prepared in readiness for the successful tenderer for driving the respective drives. These drives will be approximately as follows : Main drive, length 650 ft., grade of 1 in 4-3 ; and a return drive, 450 ft., grade of 1 in 3, the estimated quantity of coal in this area is in the vicinity of 3,250,000 tons, and the seam will be tapped at its lowest workable thickness. Cook's Lease : Prospecting over the latter part of the year has been confined to an area where three workable seams exist. This field has proved difficult due to the incidence of faulting, but up to date 1,219,000 tons of coal has been proved. A large portion of this coal could be worked by opencast methods. I have, &c, T. H. McGhie, District Manager.

The District Manager, State Coal-mines, Reefton, to the Under-Secretary, Mines Department, Wellington. 12th May, 1950. Sir, — I have the honour to submit my annual report on the workings of the Burke's Creek, Garvey Creek, Central, and Burnwell State Coal-mines for the year ended 31st March, 1950. Burke's Creek Colliery Goal-winning. —The gross output for the year was 19,284 tons, a decrease of 1,177 tons 10 cwt. when compared with the figures for the previous year. After allowing for the quantity used on works (377 tons), there remained for disposal a net output of 18,907 tons.

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