ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL.
The ordinary monthly meeting of the Ashbnrton County Counoil was hold to-day at 11 o'olook Present — Messrs B. G. Wright, H. Friedlander, J. Grigg, % J. Holmes, Jas. Brown, E. S. Coster, J, Jaokson. Mr Wright was voted to the ohalr for the meeting. INFORMALITY As there was an Informality m calling the meeting, lt having been announced that the ordinary business would be taken after the annual meeting to be held at Boon, It was determined to o_dy take euoh business as was of a routine nature before twelve o'clock, after which hour all business of Importance would be con* sidered. chairman's statement. The Chairman said :— Mr March Informs the Council that the Government has advised him that it does noc propose to undertake the oost of bringing a water i supply to the village settlements m this county. — The Government writes to say ; that there is no ohanoe cf a measure being ( Introduced this session as to the alteration , of eleotion of Licensing Committees from , one year to three years, as suggested by , tbe late Council, but tbat the suggestion ] will receive tbe consideration of the i Government during the recess.— The Longbeach Boad Board asks the Coudcll j i to dlreot whioh Board shall bave the i control of that portion of the road, 1 commonly known as Surveyors road, j > between the Coldstream and Longbeaoh ! . Road Distriots.— The Mount Somers Road ] Board recommend tbe names of Messrs . Edson and Peaohe as trustees for the i Mount Bomers Cemetery, — Tenders for | the supply of dog collars for 1888 will be I , Blaced8 laced before the Council to-day. The i 1 ..unoll should deoide what arrangements > ' ace to be made for the sale of collars for ' next year.— As this is the first meeting of i the new Council fresh appointments on < the various Committees will require J to be made. — The Secretary of tbe Christohurch Charitable Aid Board has written applying for the amount of £625 3s due by this county for j the year ending 31st Maroh next. — The Ashburton Borough Oounoil forwards its j thanks to the late Council for 00-operat- 1 Ing and assisting m tbe matter of endea- . ▼orlng to obtain a Charitable Aid Distriot 1 for the county and borougb; — A letter J from Mr Molntyre will be read on the - subject of traction engines crossing Digby's j bridge, and suggesting they ehould be j restricted to oertaln hours only for cross* , Ing.— Mr Baxter applies for a renewed { slaughtering license for T. 8. 139, Methven. j The members of the late Counoil will >} remember that the position of this yard t was objeoted to by the Mount Hutt Road 1 Board on acoount of Its olose proximity c to the water raoe,— Replies will be read * from the Longbeaoh and Upper Ashburton J Boad Board and Tinwald Town Board In j answer to tbe Engineer's report on the • proposed drainage scheme, Tinwald end jj Flemington districts*, but none haß yet g been received from the Railway Depart* j ment. I understand th>t the Assistant g Engineer has strongly reoommended the b head of bis department to contribute tbe p amount required, whioh he considers v email ln comparison to the benefit which b would aoctue. — The adjourned meeting n to eleot two representatives on the Christ- * church Charitable Aid Board from the B Borough Council and this Council will be |* held to-day. The Borough Oounoil wishes g this Oounoil to eleot both members as t waa done last year. ti SNOINESX'S REPORT, j The Engineer reported as follows :— 8 North Ashburton River Bridge at Digby's : j The earthwork of the north approach waa j, completed three weeks ago, and the bridge re- p opened for traffio at that time, since which Q the fencing and protective work at the base of a embankment bave been completed. The Sacking ef tbe bridge has also been overhauled , { •nd renewals made where necessary. Bridges, Mount Somers District : Some r minor repairs have been made to the plank- B log during the month. r Ashburton Traffio Bridge : It was necessary r to make Borne small additions to the fascine c work, to stop the scour which was reoently taking plaoe along the bank m the vioinity of t the south approach. This, including gravel- i ling and some small additional earthwork, has fl teen done at tbe cost of £12 10s. Ashburton-Bangitata Water Supply : With , A few exoeptionß the races m this district are ] now m pretty fair order throughout. The recent accumulation of flood water made f some breaches m the races, but tbey were „ easily repaired. c Auxiliary Water Supply. Montalto: The j wet weather m the gorge, and flooded oondi- t tion of the creek, prevented the contractor - from making rapid progress, but be has now £ got the foundations down to the rock, and , work is advanoing at a fair rate of speed. ( Dam, Limestone Creek : To prevent over- f low into the outlet race and adjoining flume, it will be advisable to add about 18 inches to j the height of the wall at the sluices, The j flood ohannel which crosses the water race » j little lower down requires Borne boulder pro- j teotlon, to prevent further scour m tbe direo- , tion of the race. These boulders are obtain- , able on the spot, and theße works can be 1 done at small expense. I pointed out to the ( ranger on the ground what requires to be done, , and the contractor at Montalto dam could do j tbe work while ha is m the district if tbe ; Council authorize tbem. I Deviation of Creek at Fraser's road, Tinwald: This work has been carried out, as previously sanctioned by the Counoil. Flood water, Ashburton -Binds District: Incessant complaints on this head have been made daring the month by the settlers situated to the east, or seaward, side of tho railway line ; and, as I understand that one i or two of the looal bodies interested, are not likely to contribute the share required of them towards the proposed relief ohannel along the Timaru track, it may be that redress will ' bave to be obtained by some otber means. It is apparent that none of the creeks between Ashburton and Winßlow, and extending from Westerfield to Flemington, are doing a fourth part of the duty wbioh they should perform, as natural outlets for storm water. They are more or less blooked from beginning to end, and, instead of carrying ofi the water, only serve to retain it, or to convert the entire distriot into a series of lagoons. It appears to ma that some steps should be taken where. by owners could be compelled to keep these oreeks dear up to tho extent of their original capacity. II this were done, the liability to damage from flood water m thiß district would be lessened to a very large extent. Any enlargements beyond the original sizes, $ould, of course, bave to be undertaken at tbe expense of the different ridings, I have not been over fhe whole length of oreeks referred tp, but, judging from the sections whioh I bave seen, I should estimate the oost of clearing to original capaoity bb follows;— «y JJouptqn'B creek, from railway to optfalj, m length about 7 mites . . 100 Ford's oreek, Westerfield to Flemington, via Winslow, 16 miles •• .. 200 Intermediate creek, Lagmhor to Wheat-tone, 1_ mileß . . • . 200 £500 If these creeks were to be enlarged beyond their original capacity, and otherwise improved, bo as to be of permanent utility aB flood channels, a further sum of at least £700 would be required. There is no doubt, however, that the proposed relief channel, along tbe Timaru track, is the scheme best calculated to give the greatest amount of relief at the smallest oost. The benefits from it would be more especially felt m the Lagmhor, Tinwald and Wheatstone districts, and not so much m the Winßlow and Flemington distriot.,— Although the situation and retentive oharaoter of the soil m the distriots referred to, have reoently caused tbe damages from flood-water to be greater tban on tbe drier portions of the plains, it would seem that the Counoil requires power of an ample kind, and of more simple application, m dealing with questions of flood-water, generally, throughput the county, not only with perennial creeks, but m Buch districts aB Asbburton and Rakaia, covering 100 square miles, wbere no suph creeks exist, . Plains Water Supply : Tbe uumjly in ' tbia distriot iß'being .fairly main tain tie. ' The devSatfon of El raoe on Mr Mcllraijth's property is nearly oompleted. ifrQeprge Sjpith has finiihsd.the assail branoh to big nursery.— UlTCft|l;tigu;«i^> k «0 .Wis OT.r tfc«
deviation of portion of C race for Mr Copeland and others, and the work will be put m hand m a few days — Some damage was oaused by floodwater cutting through a portion of the main leading out from the north Bide of Wakanui oreek, but thiß haß beon restored. t Water Race, Wakanui Flat: The races along Wilson's road bave been oleared of tha Bill brought down by the overflow of river, to suoh an extent as to allow the water to flow freely. — With referenoe to the question of opening up a new connection between thi) rirer and raoe along Biver Boad, as I j mentioned on a previous occasion, there would be no difficulty and hut small risk m doing this provided the point of outlet were securely protected for some distance along the river banks. By placing a small culvert, about 30 feet long, through the river bank, immediately below where the presant recently constructed flood-bank joins it, and outting 100 feet of a new drain to join the existing race, a servioe would be available for the time being, but until some protective work is undertaken m that vicinity, that supply will always be liable to be out off. In any case a good deal of attention would be required to koep the inlet clear. I should say it would not be advisable for the Counoil to undertake protective works there for the sake of conserving that small supply merely. At the came time it might be worth while to consider the propriety of making the connection if it should prove to be of only ternj porary benefit, aB the cost of that would be ; small. Bulwark, Wakanui . The repairs sanctioned j are m progress, and will be completed m a few days. The two small groins higher up the river are also m want of some repairs, the j fascine work having subsided to some extent. I Ashburton Forks Protective Worka: Mr Weldon has dismantled the groin at the lower end of his property, thus increasing the risk of damage to adjacent properties by overflow from the river. I Plantations: The outting of gorse fence. [on the three-chain reserve, Chertsey, has j been finished, and tbat on Beßerve 1782, near 1 Winßlow, will be finished m a few days. — The railway department has ploughed a strip about 10 feet wide, along tbe margin of several portions of tho Railway Reserve, m* eluding frontage of County Plantations along the line of railway. The ends and back of the plantations would also require to have strips ploughed, as also the other county plantations, if thiß work is to be done annually. Wakanui Crock : I have, as requested, examined the oourse of the oreek from Canterbury Flour Mill downwards for about a mile, with a view to report on the remedy required for lowering the water level from the outfall < at tbe mill over that portion of the oreek. The creek has been gradually silting up for a long time, so that the baok water is now nearly 18 inohes higher than it was two years ago, the re Buit being that with tho ordinary flow m the creek, the turbine i are covered to the extent of two-thirds of their depth, and m time of floods are entirely submerged. The oause of the mischief is greatly due to tbe tortuous nature of the oreek over tho length mentioned, checking the flow, and depositing the Bi t brought down the channel, which is greater now m proportion to the increase of the volume of wator brought down for mill purposes. The result is that from 12 to 18 inohes of mud are deposited m the bottom of the ohannel, causing Smith's road and a considerable extent of property to the eastwards of it to be periodically liable to inundation. For about 17 ohains below Smith's road the creek Bhould be straightened and enlarged, partly by new outting and partly on present oourse and the old dam of willows, eto. , near ofi-take of water-race tbore Bhould be entirely removed. That dam iB not now necessary for water supply purposes, j and was, I presume, placed there by the early ' settlers for the small service taken from it at ' a period when there was less water m the I oreek than now. From Smith's road to Main South Boad, a distance of about 50 chains, , the oreek should be cleaned out m tbe bottom ! to a depth of about a foot on average, mado 1 12 feet wide at bottom, with side slopoa of 8 per foot. The portion through the Railway Reserve (about 3 chains) would, I presume, bave to be undertaken by the Railway Department. The cost of tho 17 chains to the, eastward of Smith's road would bo about £24, and from Smith's road to the mill about £17. The expenditure of the former amount would benefit Smith's road and property m its .vicinity, and to some extent probably the mill also ; tbe expenditure of tha latter amount would be of special benefit for the mill only. In addition to th. above I should recommend, m order to prevent a recurrence of the evils complained of, that a silt basin be constructed at the intake of mill lake, but that is a question, I presume, whioh would have to be dealt with by tho Borough Counoil and owner of the mill jointly. Mount Somers Water Supply ; The servico wsb maintained during last month with very little intermission. Mount Somers Tramway : I bave certified for the fiual balances due to contractors for works. The amount remaining to tho credit of the acoount will go towards defraying the balance due for rails. . As joint sleopere were ultimately provided for the tramway, a corresponding number ot the ordinary sleepers a_3 now m stook, These l\|r Peaohe is prepared to take over for his branch trams at original cost price, and 1 Ehould recommend their being handed over on those terms. Irrigation Farm : The wet season (beneficial for the County generally) has so far frustrated the designs of the Committee for irrigating tbp crops at this time, as they had intended, but though the process may not bo required for tbe cereals, it may be found advisable to irrigate tho grass land later m the season. — The addition of a lean-to for the caretaker's cottage, 21 feet m length, would cost £20, and any less length m about the same proportion. Tbe work could be put m hand aB Boon as the Counoil fixes tho amount to be spent on it.
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Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1725, 2 December 1887, Page 3
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2,555ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL. Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1725, 2 December 1887, Page 3
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