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employed in excavating a total of 183,796 cubic yards, and ten bridges comprising a total length of 208 ft. were constructed. Continuous wet weather has hampered operations to some extent, but progress generally has been fairly good, and it is anticipated that the original programme will be completed towards the end of this year. The total length of drains over which improvement works have been carried out since the commencement of the scheme in 1933 is 123 m. 48 ch., and to date 72 m. 79 ch. of drains have been handed back to the Taupiri Drainage Board for future maintenance. In addition to the above, a considerable amount of work in the nature of clearing snags and growth from existing drains has been undertaken. The areas adjacent to the completed drains have been particularly free from flooding, and the channels generally are functioning very satisfactorily. Te Kawa Drainage Scheme. —Drainage-work under this scheme was recommenced during the year with unemployed labour, but, as in the previous year, operations were considerably hampered owing to the exceptional amount of wet weather experienced during the period. The work carried out since December, 1936, consists of the widening and deepening of 4 m. 76 ch. of drains and the work in hand is now nearing completion. Despite the heavy rainfall experienced during the year, the completed drains were entirely free from flooding. Paewhenua Drainage Scheme. —The purpose of this scheme, which was put in hand last year, is for the draining of an area of approximately 2,133 acres already under settlement. The programme in hand provides for the construction of approximately lOf m. of drains all of which are now practically completed. During the period 9m. 4 ch. of drains were constructed, making the total to date 10 m. 45 ch. There remains only about 20 ch. of draining to complete the scheme. Upper Waihou River Clearing.—The work of clearing the river was continued and during the year both banks of the stream over a length of 5 m. 32 ch. were cleared of large willows, &c., and heavy snags were removed from the waterway. All timber and rubbish was stacked and burned. Ohinemuri River Stop-banks—The raising of both stop-banks was completed during the period, and the area should now be safe generally from flooding, even from such record floods as that of February, 1936. Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement.—Maintenance : The flood waterways have been kept free by the clearing and burning of gorse and blackberry from the banks and berms. A start has been made with the dredging of sandbanks in the river-channel. On the Ngahina-Netherton Lower Waihou Section toe drains have been constructed on the inside of the stop-banks, and the excavated soil has been placed to stiffen the banks. The stop-banks on this section have also been raised to conform in grade with the remaining stop-bank system. Waitoa River. —Clearing : During the year the clearing of willows, &c., from both banks of the river was carried out in sections over a total length of 6m. 16 ch. The waterway has also been cleared of snags over a length of 3m. 9 ch. All timber and rubbish is being stacked and burned as tlie work progresses. Sand-dune Reclamation. — South Kaipara Heads : About 1,400 acres of South Head are planted in marram, and it is making rapid headway as a result of the favourable season. Lupin has also been successfully established over a large portion of this block. After this season it is considered that plentiful local supplies of both marram and lupin seed should be assured without the necessity for large and costly pack trains. During the period 1 ton of lupin-seed was planted amongst the marram ; replanting of marram was carried out over 220 acres ; and 100 acres of new marram have been planted. Also along the Muriwai Beach, towards South Head, 100 acres of marram nurseries have been established and are making very good headway. Woodhill-Muriwai-Helensville : The planted areas of both marram and lupin have made particularly good growth during the period, and the latter has reached the stage where it is now providing good shelter for the young trees which have been planted out. During the period, 250 acres were planted in marram, making the total area of marram to date 8,540 acres. In addition 1,070 acres have been replanted ; 4| tons of lupin-seed were collected and sown, and this is making a fair cover over an area of 3,250 acres". During the period, 738,960 young trees of various species were planted over an area of 620 acres, and to date 762,960 trees have been planted over an area of 640 acres. Pakiri Sand-dune Reclamation. —Two nurseries have been established in this area, and the marram in both cases is making good progress, but there will not be any quantity available for planting elsewhere until lupin is established to provide the necessary shelter for the marram. About 250 lb. of lupin-seed have been sown in the nurseries, and it is coming away satisfactorily. It is anticipated that sufficient marram-plants will be available to enable the planting operations to be extended during next winter. Waikato Heads and Kariotahi. —Reclamation work which was started in this area in the 1932-33 season was carried on with vigour during the period as in previous years. The total area over which marram has been planted now exceeds 3,000 acres, and lupin has been established over nearly half of that area. Pine-trees of several varieties have been planted on about 250 acres. Seedlings lined out and on order for the 1937 planting-season number nearly one million of mixed pines. Tatjmakunui District. Mokau Willow-clearing. —During the year the whole of the cleared length from the 8 m. Junction (Te Kuiti National Park Main Highway) to a point 10 ch. west of the Mapiu Stream, distance 16 m. 50 ch., was retreated, and all recrudescence and intermediate second growth between stumps poisoned and destroyed. A considerable proportion of this work was caused through the permanent lowering of the water-level of the Mokau Stream from 5 ft. to 6 ft., thus enabling further treatment to be undertaken. There still remains 5 m. to be treated. Mokauiti Willow-clearing. —A total of 385 ch. on the Mokauiti Huiateko and Mangawhero streams have now been ring-barked and poisoned and the preliminary programme completed. The work of falling and clearing of the willows will be undertaken this season,

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