RIVER CONTROL.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18659, 7 April 1926, Page 9

RIVER CONTROL.

WAIMAKARIRI SCHEME. MEETING AT KAIAPOI. Kaiapoi ratepayers are in favour of tho scheme for the control of th* Waimakariri River. This was shown Us* evening, when a meeting was keid u» the- Kaiapoi Theatre. Tho Mayor (Mr H. Mcintosh), who presided brer an attendance of about I*2o, said that the meeting was the most important ever held in Kjuapui. He briefly reviewed the qnalitkatiiins of Mr F. C. Hay, engineer of the VTaimakariri Hirer Trust.

Mr Hay said that it could safely be said that if nothing was don* with the river ; tho risk of flood would increase, and if the works were not done, their cost would be greater later or. optional protection resulted in the v«ste of enormous sums of public money, a»«i did not achieve the purpose aimed at. The speaker sketched the u»*>»re* takon for the control of the Tawri. and instanced the work done there a* an example of the failure of patchwork schemes. Finally, after a cos:mission had sat. a River Trust w»* set up, and public approval was obtained for a comprehensive *dx:m*. costing £150,000. It was the recamtuc and useless expenso which had been borne in tho Taieri district that tha Waimakariri Trnst desired to areid. Mr Hay then explained the scheme. Questions and rdscasatOß, Mr C. Morgan Williams asked if U» Eyro and Cust schemes were carried and the Waimakariri scheme turaed down, whether tho former would lie carried on.

Mr Hay said the Trust wocle carry them out with certain modification* where thoy functioned - with the Waimakariri.

Mr Williams said it iu probabsft. that the scheme, as it elected tb* Waimakariri in particular, would te turned down.

Air R. W. Winter asked whether Mr Hay had had the final decision as to the outlet, and .where the cut was to uo. "If the thing is not a tweets, v» shall know then whom to Warn*," said Mr Winter.

Mr Hay said he had drawn up Uiw* schemes.for the Trust's choice, Alt were designed to achieve the came «s»»' ject. One was too costly, and tfcw pther two were equally egcacwaa. "I am satisfied." said Mr Wioter. "The members of the Trust deeded th» outlet." He said a large pan of Kaiapoi had never been flooded hjribf* Eyre, and it was not fair that peedft who could not be affected rated for protection against/-the* river. The ratepayers whoa he ra§f*» sented objected to being doubly fated. Mr Blackweß said Mr Winters kswev lodge of the floods w« inadequate. Mr Winter said that Mr NackweU had failed to tell them how sradkraf the crater of the 1993 floods was fires* tho Ashley. A voice: Put it through a separator. Mr H. 0. Revell said the people of Kaiapoi were on the horn* ef »'dSlemma. The Cost and the Byr» asTnisH them far more tiuua tfaa wia im«t »| ?ci " Mr BlackweU said those who w«f» rated for both schemes i pitied to rote on both. ~ • Mr T. Leithead moved: «T&s* tbja meeting approves ef «he aejkjpsj!' and urges the ratepayers to wfc» *ir J it." .-:.,, • ' *.. "i 1 * Mr J. Hirst seeonded the nsfilnHen. Mr WinMf moved an ssentesMt ''That the speakers be accorded ftivess), of thanks." JM* This was seoondqd. i, A second amendment era* mewed. Ist 4 Mr Williams: 'Thai this TsapM S Mfe proves 'the scheme as ft Eyre and Cost. 1 betlha* fstllsWjlslF quinos be made into tho WliMiiSil scheme." ' This was - aei^af»|^|gg||^ Both amendioeßta were WsjMfjfl ingly. defeated, and the ; is««s*Pssl| -carried almost imaiAwMr. V' n V^H . - A committee 'wee *hj» l 'if*i»'#|l work inVtliera«eM^AlM||