WAKANUI PROTECTIVE WORKS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1625, 2 August 1887, Page 2

WAKANUI PROTECTIVE WORKS

A raeetin r was held m the Wakanul Sohoolroom last evening to consider the best means of preventing further damage being occasioned by the river. In spite of the boisterous weather the room was well filled and Mr G. W. Leadley wai voted to the chair. The Chairman read the advertisement calling the meeting and said that doubtless ail present were aware that the river had lately assumed a very threatening aspect, and if it were deoide I to do anything it would, ba better to do it quickly other* wise great damage would result; Ho had not ocme with any resolution, and would leave it to the meeting to deoide on a plan of aotion. He then referred to the suggeation which had been made as to the best means of dealing with the question. The first of these was allowing the overflow water to go down the natural gullies, but he thought it would be better to arrange matters so that there would ba no overflow. He thought it would be quite possible to cut a channel by whioh the river would go straight out to sea without the Longbesoh side of the river being affaoted, If the meeting decided on anything he did not think they would receive apy money from the County Counoil, nor had they a r!ght to expect any, as that body had already given them morer than £1100 out of the general funds of the

ounty. A conversational discussion herd ensued. Ir Ooe and other gentlemen thought that E the> channel soheme were decided on, it rould be necessary to go some consider* ble distanoe up the river, and this would ntail encroaching on private property, rhloh land, however, the Government md done wrong m selling. .It was hardly ikely soffioient fund* would bo forthomtag to pnrohase the requisite laud, md cinder these circumstance! they hought it better to allow the overflow rater to escape into all the natural gullies md water courses, and then there would, >c no damage to the roads. Mr D. Leddy alluded to his present )ositlon m regard to the protective rate. 3.c teceived no commensurate advantage lor the money he was paying, and he bought the rate should be levied la pro* portion to the amount of benefit derived. A long and desultory dlsouiston took >lace, during the course of whleh It was itated that Mr S. Brown would give £100 f other ratepayers affaoted would also issfst m fair proportion. In reply to a question, the Chairman igain stated that the meeting need not look for assistance from the County Douncll, as the Oounoil had already spent ii large sum on the protective works. In reply to Mr Brown, the Chairman sa(d bhat £800 had been spent on a storm water iraln m his part of the district ;' that the number benefited was small m comparison to those who would be benefitted by a good system of river protection, but that the persons Jn his (Mr Leadley's) district had paid far more towards protection than those m the river dlstrlot had paid towards the drain. , Mr Jdts. Brown thought the proposal made by one gentleman to give £100, provided some one else gave such-and-such an amount was impracticable. He referred to -the history of the present works at some length. He said that la the month of October the Wakanul* Road Board being desirons to make the road paa> aable, and believing the best way to do this would be to extend the works about another 4 chains, entered Into communication with the County Council. The matter was referred to the Proteetlve Works Committee whioh was instructed to briug np a report. It was not till eight months after this that he,, as a member of the Board, racelted notice to meet the Committee on the spot} and the Committee anbmitted its report to the Counoil on July 1. He read ttaFraport (which appeared m bur report of the proceedings of the laat meeting of the Cooaty Council.) He said th.t be was thunderstrnok when he first saw the report and subsequent events showed the conclusion arrived at by the Committee to have been utterly wrong. If the groin had been extended at the time the Road Board wished, the damage caused by the late flood would have been averted. The Chairman said that Mr Brown wa§ present at the meeting of the Committee, and heard the proposals. He raised no objection to them then. The vißit made to the- groin made m June was not m, response to the request of the Board ; that vißit was made last summer. The Juno visit was made because the Surveyor to the Board wished to report on the works and asked him (Mr Leadley)if the Council would be prepared to assist m any work that might be undertaken. He brought the matter under the notice of tha Council, and the following week the visit referred to by Mr Brown was made; Mr Brown maintained that his version was correct, and said that the Press and the minutes of the .Road Board would show that it was so. He denied having heard any propositions made during the visit of inspection of the Committee to tha workß. . After some further remarks, Mr Brown said that he did ;not think the County Council would throw them over m tha matter, but if that body would not grant them any assistance, he would be inclined to bring the district under the provision! of the .River Board Act. He explained the working of this Act, and said that tin Board constituted under it would hare full control of the river, and if it was necessary to levy a rate, would have power to inakb that rate a differential onepayment m proportion to benefit received. It was ultimately resolved, on tha motion of Mr Brown, seconded by M» Olephane,. " That the attention of the* County Oounoil and Road Board be oalled to the damage caused by tha river aud that these bodies be requested to allow their engineers to consult to* gether and prepare a plan and estimate of tha coat of what they consider to ba the best way of preventing the rivet overflowing its banks at the protective) works, to report at their earliest oon venienca to the Chairman of this meet* ing. It was deoided to forward conies of tha resolution to the County Oounoil and Road Board. Mr E. Thomas though no adverse to the resolution thought it would be better to aocept Mr S, Brown's liberal offer and with the aid of iron pipes and willowe thoroughly protect the bank. After a considerable amount of dbsuasion of a disultory character, tha meeting closed with a vote of thinks to the Chairman.