13

D.—6to

Reference No. 5. (a.) To furnish estimates of the cost of such remedial measures as you may recommend should be taken for the effective control and improvement of the said rivers and their banks. Your Commissioners estimate the approximate cost of the works outlined at £80,000. (&.) To report, in the case of each river, what a/rea or areas of land should be constituted a district in respect of which a rate may be levied to secure and, pay the interest on and provide a fund for the repayment of any loan that may be raised, to carry out any river-improvement works which you may recommend should be undertaken. The area to be constituted a district in respect of which, a rate may be levied to secure and pay the interest on and provide a fund for the repayment of any loan that may be raised to carry out the river-improvement works recommended by your Commissioners is the portion of the Lower Taieri Plain shown on the accompanying plan No. 1. The area embodied in this district comprises approximately all the land which would be subject to.damage by flood-waters of the Taieri and Waipori Rivers, assuming that there were no adequate levees or other protective works existing. ■ It is further recommended that for the purposes of representation this district should be divided into seven ridings, as indicated also on plan No. 1 attached. The control of Silverstream below the boundary of the Lower Taieri River District (as suggested) does not seem to be a work of great magnitude, and there seems to be no reason why a small body, called the " Silverstream River Board," should not be formed to deal with it. It seems expedient that at this time the interests here involved should be entirely separated from the Taieri, even should it mean the creation of a very small Board ; alternatively the Taieri County Council might be declared a River Board in respect of this stream. Possibly the present system might remain, in operation. Eventually, no doubt, this area would come into the main river district on its own petition if ratepayers there realized that they would only be rated for work' done on the Silverstream directly benefiting them. They might now be constituted either a river district or a drainage district, or even be defined as an. " outer area of the Lower Taieri River District, with the right to ask the main Board to give them schemes and estimates, classification rates, &c, for their work, and then do the work or not, as they liked. In this case, being an outer area and not contributing to the administration rate, they would have to pay the main Board the actual cost of making reports, &c, plus, say, 10 per cent. (c.) To report your opinion as to what, matters, if any, should be adjusted by legislation. Your Commissioners consider that the whole of their findings as set forth in this report should be enacted in special legislation, to be called the Lower Taieri River Improvement Act. (d.) Generally, to report your opinion on all matters arising out of or touching the premises, including the question as to whether or not one or more competent authorities shall be appointed to control the whole or any portion or portions of the said rivers, and what statutory powers should be possessed, by such authority. Your Commissioners consider that for the purpose of carrying out the works described generally under reference No. 3, and ensuring their proper maintenance in the future, also for the proper control of the river and for the better protection of the interests of the whole community, one controlling authority should be appointed. The district to be controlled, and over portions of which rates may be struck to raise moneys required for the construction of protective works, should comprise the whole of ibhe area already referred to and described under reference No. 5 (b), and this district should be termed ••The Taieri River Trust District. ,,