ALLANDALE FLOODING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 54, 16 July 1947, Page 5

ALLANDALE FLOODING

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES COSTLY OVER £6OOO INVOLVED The dilemma in which the Borough Council finds itself with regard to the prosecution of any permanent scheme for improving the Wainui-te-Whara Stream which has been responsible for so many recurring floods in the A llan <l a le area of recent years, must have been patent to members of the deputation of ratepayers which waited on the council at its July meeting last Monday evening. The deputation, headed by Miss North, comprised Messrs. B. Evans, White, Hislop, Whittaker and Webster, and was introduced by the De-puty-Mayor (Cr S. Shapley). Speakers contended that the flood last weekend was one of the worst encountered jn that vicinity, and urged upon the council the need to take immediate remedial measures.

High Time For Action

Mr Evans emphasised the fact that there had been three floods in the past twelve months and ratepayers felt that as a body it was high time the council did something of a permanent nature instead of the minor ■ cleanings which had been authorised in the past. Up till the present time it appeared that they had been just playing round with it and ratepayers were getting concerned as each flood meant increasing losses and deterioration of property. He suggested that the position was not hopeless, and that if the council were to tackle it from the river outlet up to the gorge entrance, deepening and doubling the width and placing a gravel grill at the gorge, he was sure the position could be rectified. The matter should be igiven a number one priority. A National Matter ■ Mr White said he agreed that the matter had given the council a headache, but he considered it a national matter in that steady erosion was taking place which should be checked by state funds. It was a matter for the whole community and he had

Something Special in Rugby

Rugby fans will be treated to something special on Saturday when the Whakatane Representative team meets a Representative touring team of Waikohu. The visiting team has swept down the coast with some outstanding victories to their credit. Numbered among the relinquished are the Opotiki Reps, who have staved off so many challenges for the Te Hurunui Apanui Shield, but the visitors were too good. The writer expects a sparkling display of football and recommends this match as worth seeing.

already in his possession a petition to the Minister of Internal Affairs urging that Government action be taken. He was also endeavouring to work through several Unions 'to which residents in the flooded areas belonged. He would be glad to cooperate with the council in this respect.

“We realise that the problem is a big one,” said His Worship replying to the deputation. “No one has given it more thought than we have, and the question of widening and deep-

ening the drain is what our en-

gineer suggests, but the cost is estimated at £6OOO, and it would he impossible for this council to spend that amount in one area.” Last year the council had endeavoured to relieve the position by deepening, but now the bed had silted up another two feet. Even in the •event of going ahead with any major proposition, it was doubtful whether the property owners would agree to giving their land for doub-. ling the width and building up new stopbanks. He agreed with Mr White that it Vras a national matter, and for this reason the council had been ip touch with the Rivers Control and Soil Conservation Board, but so far nothing had been heard from this body. This was nos.sibly because of the fact that* no •constituent board had been set up in this district on account of the differences of opinion between the local bodies concerned. However he now understood that the board would be arbitrarily formed in the near future, and then all these matters would be attended to. In the meantime the council would do all it possibly could to relieve the position. v .

Councillors Opinion

The Deputy-Mayor (Cr Shapley> said he warmly agreed with the complainants regarding the inconvenience they had suffered. If however they could assist by way of

suggestion the council would be grateful. Iri his opinion much of the flooding was due to water draining from the Taneatua Road. Cr Canning: This area has always given a lot of trouble. It would cost anything up to £IO,OOO to do the drain properly, and to finance that it would mean the creation of a special drainage area, for the purpose of levying a rate on the householders concerned. It would not be fair to expect the ratepayers from the other end of the Borough to share the cost. People living there purchased their sections with the full knowledge that the land flooded and must therefore stand by it. He had personally told people not to .build there. v

The Mayor: You must admit, Cr Canning that people have only bought sections there because there were no others available elsewhere. Cr Canning: . Yes but that’s because of the Land Sales Court making it impossible for cutting up propositions. Banks Broken The Mayor was explaining that one of the greatest breaks occurred in the stopbank, where cattle had worn away a channel to reach the water, when Mr White interrupted. “Well you people (the council) are the worst offenders in this respect. The cattle in the pound have cut through the banks to the stream until the water now flows through to Francis’, Murray’s and my own sections. The Mayor: We will look into that.

Build At Own Risk When the question of preventing prospective house builders from building in areas likely to flood was under discussion at the Borough Council meeting last Monday, the Mayor in answer to a query, stated that until such areas were defined, the council had no power to prevent an owner from building providing he owned the land, and submitted plans for the building in conformity with the Borough regulations.

Cr Creeke declared that as a resident of long standing he could recall the time when the whole of the basin was a natural swamp in which he used to catch eels. In his opinion it would always be a centre of flood, though he had the fullest sympathy for the residents. Loan Unpopular The Mayor: I want to assure the deputation that the council could not possibly do the work out of funds. The only way would be by going to the' ratepayers for authority to raise a loan, and then I’m certain that tbe ratepayers would not sanction £6OOO. for this undertaking alone. The only thing we can do is to follow up the Soil Conservation Board.

* Mr White: I suggest that a spillway in the gorge is a first necessity! The Mayor: We will go into all that. I can assure you that the problem is receiving the fullest consideration, and I hope by our combined efforts we may be able to get somewhere.

When the deputation had retired Cr Armstrong observed that from his own observations he considered that, the lower drain from King Street to the river should be cleared. 'lt was badly blocked and created a bottleneck in its present condition.

On the motion of the Mayor it was agreed to instruct the ForemanEngineer to reinvestigate with the assistance of his former report, the new position arising from the - recent flood and to submit it to the next Works Committee meeting with the idea of re-approaching the Government.