The Harper River Diversion

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17111, 5 April 1921, Page 6

The Harper River Diversion

The City Council last night quite rightly decided to support the Progress League in its protest against the action of tho Public Works Department in postponing the permanent diversion of the Harper river into Lake Coleridge. Having done this and shown, t in so doing, that the League's attitude is backed up by' the citizens of Christchurch, there was mo necessity for tho Council to pass a further resolution, moved by a Labour member, which virtually charged the Minister of Public Works with a breach of faith. The Council should have recognised the political animus' which dictated this motion, and turned it down. Besides being tactless, it was also -inaccurate, for all that Mr Coates promised, on the occasion of the gathering at Lake Coleridge in January, was that tho work of the Harper diversion would be proceeded with, and he is quite justified in claiming that the completion of the temporary diversion fulfils that promise—for tho present. This is not to say, however, that we regard the stoppage of the work at the present stage as satisfactory. It is true that it is difficult to believe that the Minister, through the information supplied to him by hia officers, is not seized with the existing situation, and is not quite satisfied that the temporary diversion will supply all requirements. He has stated definitely that ho has been assured that the temporary channel will carry all the water required, and that there hno cause for anxiety. On the other hand it is equally difficult to believe that a supply which at present leaves the Lake eight feet below its normal level will stand the strain of the usual dry season, and of the addition in two or three months of the third pipe line. There is also the danger that any serious fresh in the river may divert its course and leave the intake of the temporary channel high and dry, a danger which the construction of the permanent groyne would certainly not remove entirely, because anything may result from a fresh in a shinglebed river if the fresh is big enough, but which is would assuredly lessen to a very great degree. Under the -circumstances, we agree with the Progress League that in raising the level of th<* Lake an quickly as possible, so as to be ready to meet any emergency,'the Department should leave nothing to chance. It is a thousand times better to be sure than sorry, in a matter of such importance to , the whole community as the maintenance and extension of the supply of power from the Lake, and assurance can only be attained, and even then not in the fullest measure, by the completion of the permanent diversion of the Harper. The estimated cost of the work h not much to pay for safety.