WHIRINAKI RIVER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 57, 2 December 1946, Page 5

WHIRINAKI RIVER

QUESTION OF FLOOD SAFEGUARD COUNTY COUNCIL TO REPORT

The question of rebuilding the Whirinaki River bridge, Galatea, on a substantial and permanent basis was discussed in a letter to the Whakatane County Council from the P.W.D. Engineer, Hamilton, at the November meeting last week.

i The writer stated that the Rivers Control Engineer, who had inspected the site was of the opinion that much greater and higher floods could be experienced in the future, as land development in the basin served by the Whirinaki would make for a greater run-off of surface water.. Whilst it might not be economical o design a bridge for such maximum floods, it was generally agreed that it should be raised and lengthened as much as possible, and designed to provide, in the event of the bridge being overtopped by the higher floods, to sustain the minimum damage. It was accepted that the bridge, whatever its structure should be a two-way one, with 24ft. between the , curbs.

The Council, in discussing the subject decided that it favoured a lowlevel bridge proposal at the outlet of the Gorge, which would be adapted to avoid the highest flood level. The County Engineer was instructed to report on the bridge approaches.