The district the boundaries of which are described in the First Schedule hereto is hereby constituted a harbour district for the purposes of this Act, by the name of “The Patea Harbour District.”

The Patea and Hawera boroughs shall each be a subdivision under this Act, and shall be called the Patea Borough and Hawera Borough Subdivision respectively.

The remainder of the district shall be divided into three subdivisions, to be called Hawera, Otoia, and Waverley, whose respective boundaries are described in the Second Schedule hereto.

The members of the Patea Harbour Board in office at the time of the passing of this Act shall continue in office until the new Board constituted under this Act comes into office.

The Board shall consist of seven members, of whom four shall form a quorum, and such members shall be respectively appointed, succeed to office, and be elected as follows:—

One member shall be appointed by the Governor.

Two members shall be elected by the ratepayers of the Patea Borough Subdivision of the harbour district.

One member shall be elected by the ratepayers of the Hawera Borough Subdivision of the harbour district.

One member shall be elected by the ratepayers of each of the other three subdivisions of the said district.

The elective members of the Board shall be elected in manner provided by the said Act.

Every person whose name at the time of any election of a member of the Board is on the ratepayers’ roll in force in any borough, road district, or town district, in respect of property within the said harbour district, shall be entitled to vote at such election for the subdivision wherein his property is situate.

Any person being a ratepayer in any subdivision shall be eligible as a member of the Board for any part of the district.

The Governor shall by Proclamation appoint some day not exceeding thirty days after the date of such Proclamation for the election of the members of the first Board, and also shall appoint the day for the first meeting of the Board, and by warrant under his hand shall appoint some fit person as Returning Officer, who shall fix the necessary polling-places, and shall conduct the said election under the provisions of “The Regulation of Local Elections Act, 1876,” in so far as the said Act is not inconsistent with the express provisions of this Act.

On the day so appointed the ratepayers of the Patea Borough Subdivision shall elect two duly-qualified persons to be the members of the Board for such subdivision; and the electors within each of the other subdivisions shall respectively elect some one duly-qualified person to be the member of the Board for such subdivision.

The elective members of the Board shall come into office on their election, and shall hold office from the time of their election until the coming into office of their successors, to be elected at the biennial election of members of the Board to be held on the second Monday in February, in the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight.

The member of the Board to be appointed by the Governor may be appointed at any time after the passing of this Act, and he shall hold office for a period of two years, to be computed from the first day of July next preceding his appointment.

The new Board constituted under this Act shall be deemed to be a Harbour Board under the said Act.

The Board shall have full control and authority over so much of the River Patea as is herein defined, and may, subject to the provisions of “The Harbours Act, 1878,” construct such dams, breakwaters, embankments, walls, docks, quays, wharves, piers, jetties, and other works of a similar character as shall be considered by the Board to be necessary for the requirements of the river, and may do all things necessary for the improvement of the navigation of the river, or for the general protection or conservation of the banks thereof or of property within the limits of the harbour district.

So much of the Second Schedule of “The Harbours Act, 1878,” as relates to the constitution of the Board, succession to office, and election of the members of the Board, shall be deemed to be inoperative so far as regards the Patea Harbour Board.