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56
I am pleased to report that a great many owners and
other responsible parties have readily complied with suggestions
made by the department for the improvement of the
sanitary condition of their property. As a result, a considerable
number of nuisances have been abated without the
necessity of serving statutory notices. The supervision of all
works carried out for the abatement of nuisances has been
well maintained, and, while no attempt was made to exercise
unreasonable control, the efficient execution of the work was
insisted upon.
Legal proceedings were taken in three cases, a conviction
or an Order being obtained in each instance.
The sanitary operations of the immediate future will be
greatly facilitated by the additional powers conferred on
your Council by their adoption of the Public Health Acts
Amendment Act, 1907. This Act is one of the most important
measures of sanitary reform that has been placed on the
Statute Book during recent years, and it contains several
provisions which will prove of material aid to your sanitary
department. Hitherto the yards in connection with houses
erected prior to the year 1883 have been exempt from the
operation of the paving bye-laws, with the result that it has
not always been possible to deal with all yards which it was
desirable should be paved. Under the new Act, however,
authority is given to deal with any dwelling, irrespective of
age, provided the existing conditions are such as to render
paving necessary, and the Council is also empowered to
execute the works in the owners' default at the latter's expense.
The extension of the nuisance section of the Public Health
Act, 1875, so as to include the proper supervision of drinking
water cisterns is also of great importance. Until recently
this district had to depend on an intermittent water supply,
and, as a consequence, every house is provided with a storage
cistern. A large number of these are placed in most unsuitable
situations, rendering periodical cleansing a