H—3

•extensive than those of the old district. The Inner Area comprised the City of Auckland, the Boroughs of Mount Eden, Mount Albert, Newmarket, One Tree Hill, Onehunga, Otahuhu, and Ellerslie, the Town District of Papatoetoe, the Road Districts of Mount Roskill and Mount Wellington, the Auckland Domain and Hospital Reserve, and the island known as Motukorea or Brown's Island. The Outer Area comprised the Boroughs -.of New Lynn and Manurewa, the Town Districts of Grlen Eden, Henderson, and Howick, .and the Panmure Township Road District, those portions of the Titirangi, Waikumete, Waipareira, and Waitakerei Ridings of the Waitemata County lying within an approximate radius of nine miles from the chief post-office at Auckland, and that portion of the Manukau County lying within an approximate radius of fourteen miles from the Auckland Chief Post-office. Provision was made for altering from time to time the boundaries of the district. The Act also constituted the Auckland Metropolitan Drainage Board, consisting of fifteen members elected by the local authorities whose districts were included in the Inner Area. 19. The following are the principal provisions of the Act which are relevant to the matters within the scope of the present inquiry : (1) The main sewers and drains and 'other works and property belonging to -the Auckland Suburban Drainage Board were vested in the new Metropolitan Board, which also assumed all rights and obligations of the old Board. (2) The Metropolitan Board is given the sole right within the Inner Area to construct, maintain, and manage all main sewers and drains and other works, and all main sewers or drains and other works constructed by any local authority were vested in the Board subject to the payment of compensation by the Board to the local authority concerned. ,(3) The treatment-works and outfall for the district are required to be constructed on Brown's Island and the discharge of the effluent from the treatmentworks into the waters surrounding the island is authorized. The construction of a submarine sewer to the island and of the outfall pipes is made subject to the approval of the Marine Department and the Auckland Harbour Board, and the Metropolitan Board is required to obtain the approval of the Harbour Board to the degree and character of purification of the effluent. With certain exceptions no sewage is allowed to be discharged from any part of the Inner Area into the waters of the Waitemata or Manukau Harbours. {4) For the purpose of carrying off any sewage from any part of its district within the Inner Area, a local authority is entitled to connect sewers and drains with the Board's main sewers and drains. (5) Subject to the approval of the appropriate local authority, the Board is empowered to construct drains for . the removal of surface water and to control, alter, and improve any existing drains for that purpose, or any .natural watercourse or channel. ,(6) Within the Outer Area no new main sewers or drains are allowed to be installed except by the Board, and no existing main sewers or drains may be altered or extended or any change or extensions made in any existing drainage system except with the approval of the Board. (7) The area outside the Metropolitan Drainage District the natural drainage of which is into the waters of either the Waitemata Harbour or the Manuka a Harbour is to be regarded as within the " sphere of influence " of the Board and no drainage system for aily portion of this area is to be drawn up, carried out, or maintained save with the approval and under the general supervision and control of the Board. The Boroughs of, Devonport, Takapuna, Northcote, and Birkenhead are, however, expressly excluded from the sphere of influence.

9