There were no apologies.

RESOLVED

THAT the minutes of the meeting of the Tirohia-Rotokohu Drainage District Committee held on Tuesday 11 November 2003 be taken as read and confirmed.

TRDD04/10 Brown/Rasmussen CARRIED

David Green stated that the drain is in need of cleaning to clear the drain of weed. The Drainage Overseer will investigate.

In response to a question requesting the status of the proposal to reconstruct the Ohinemuri River stopbanks using material from the Kuaoiti Stream to reduce the occurrence of the bank slumping, it was advised that this exercise is to be carried out this season. There is an item in the Drainage Manager’s report referring.

DRAINAGE REPORT (18KB)

The report from the Drainage Manager was presented for the Committee’s consideration

RESOLVED

THAT the report be received.

TRDD04/11 Green/Rasmussen CARRIED

Spraying

The tables of the drains sprayed to 30 June 2004 were presented. There were no drains sprayed this year to date.

The tables of the drains mechanically cleaned to 30 June 2004 were presented.

Siphon grilles have had to be cleared on several occasions.

The summary of pump hour’s operation for the year ended 30 June 2004 and for the current year was presented. A summary of pump running from 1996 to June 2004 was also presented. The 2003-04 total of 1242 hours was 119% of the average for the period of record. The Mill Road station has run over 670 hours in the current year.

The probe level on the Mill Road pump will need to be reassessed in conjunction with Environment Waikato staff.

Environment Waikato is reassessing the diesel powering programme. The Main Drain pumps in Paeroa have been converted to diesel generated power. There is currently no decision on the conversion of the Mill Road Station.

It was reported that the owner of the property on the lower reach of the stream, immediately upstream of the floodgate has raised a concern over the slumping of the batter on the right bank. An excavator removed some of the material as a short term measure while survey and remedial works were considered. An option favoured by the owner is to bench the canal bank at a lower level, and to batter the bank back to original ground level at a slope that will permit normal pastoral operation. This could involve a considerable quantity of material. Environment Waikato has a requirement for material to reconstruct the Ohinemuri River stopbanks, both through the town, and in the Mill Road reach. There is potential for a joint operation to minimise costs to this committee, and to provide a local source of spoil for the region’s stopbank works. Agreement was reached with the landowner, but it was too late in the season for Environment Waikato to undertake the works before the 2004 winter. The works should be able to proceed this season.

The Drainage Manager reported that the Western Plains Drainage District Committee have resolved to further investigate the release of fish into one of their drains that appears to be a viable proposition for this method. Council has undertaken a trial around five years ago in a drain that did not have suitable water quality for the survival of the fish.

In discussions with the contractor it Council was advised that the original approvals had expired. Staff identified nine drains within the district that may be suitable habitats for the fish. Only one, the Maukoro Outlet Drain in the WPDD has sufficient screening to contain the fish immediately. The remaining eight drains have been included in a new application to the Department of Conservation. If successful the pump and floodgate outlets from these drains could be modified with additional screens to prevent the escape of the fish, providing the benefit cost ratio is sufficiently high enough to warrant the capital expense of the construction of screens.

The Environmental Impact Report and application has been lodged with the Department of Conversation, with submissions due to close on December 7.

The Drainage Manager outlined the proposed structure of the smaller District Drainage Committee’s.

Council has appointed Councillor Tom Meyers as representative on the three Paeroa Ward Drainage District Committees, these being Komata North, Opukeko and Tirohia Rotokohu.

The Triennial Drainage District Committee elections will take place in March-April 2005. Prior to that time Council will advertise the procedure and nominations will be called for. A likely scenario that has been discussed as part of the drainage rate review is that the three smaller drainage districts in the Paeroa Ward on the east side of the Waihou River may be combined as one administrative committee.

FINANCIAL REPORT

The financial reports for the 12 months ended 30 June 2004 and the 4 months ended 31 October 2004 were presented for the members’ information.

RESOLVED

THAT the financial report on the operations of the Tirohia-Rotokohu Drainage District Committee for the 12 months ended 30 June 2004 and the 4 months ended 31 October be received.

TRDD04/11 CARRIED

Ron Brown – Noted that with some internal drainage reorientation, realignment of the Brown Drain may need to be investigated. The Drainage Overseer will check the drain.

The culvert over the upper siphon drain has collapsed. It will be checked to confirm that it is actually required, as the access to the property is from private land.

Karl Rasmussen – asked when the Rotokohu Canal would be cleaned. The Drainage Overseer advised that the machine would be on the job in the next week.

The Committee was advised that Bob Potter had sold his farm and would no longer be eligible to stand for committee.