DEVELOPMENT OF LAND

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24896, 8 June 1946, Page 8

DEVELOPMENT OF LAND

Importance In Works Plan

IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE Except in rare cases, primary production would have priority in development work, said the Assistant Commissioner of Works (Mr T. G. Beck), when he outlined engineering projects to the regional planning conference held in Christchurch yesterday. The claims of primary production were generally paramount.

There were large areas which had been only scratched, said Mr Beck. Canterbury had as bright a future as any part of New Zealand, and its primary production would Increase beyond present comprehension. Mr Beck said about 100,000 acres of good land were adversely affected by flooding from Lake Ellesmere and bad drainage. A new outlet was required. The precise form it would take had still to be determined. There was also the question of flooding from Lake Forsyth. Possibly the best scheme would be a canal from Lake Ellesmere to Lake Forsyth and one outlet for both from Lake Forsyth. One disadvantage was the great amount of earthwork that would be required for the canal, but an advantage was that the great shingle bank ended at Banks Peninsula. Elaborate calculations were now being made on the hydraulics of the scheme, cn which the whole thing hinged. There were no engineering reasons why an outlet for Lake Ellesmere should not be provided at Taumutu if that were the best place. This work was of the utmost importance to Canterbury because of the large tract of land that would be made available for intensive production. Another part of this work was the ultimate reclamation of part of Lake Ellesmere, but that could be left for some time in the future. There was also a drainage scheme for the Ellesmere county. Catchment Board Works

Mr Beck said splendid work had been done by the Waimakariri River Trust and the North Canterbury Catchment Board in controlling the Waimakariri. The Catchment Board had a new scheme for building up the banks and overtaking maintenance work. Another drainage scheme affected 3000 acres of land at Russells Flat on the Hawkins river, a tributary of the Selwyn, which years ago had produced high yields of wheat. The big Eyre-Cust scheme prepared by the North Canterbury Catchment Board was of the utmost importance to primary production. The Catchment Board had also prepared plans for the prevention of flooding in the Selwyn. The Minister of Works (the Hon. R. Semple): That must be done very early. At the end of the area, said Mr Beck, was the Kowhai river, which flowed along a ridge, and in a bad flood might change its course either to the right or the left. If it went to the left it would not only damage farm lands but also run through the town of Kaikoura. Protective works were planned. From the Rakaia river north to Hororata there was an area of light land which was subject to devastating droughts. It had been recognised that water supply and irrigation would benefit this area, so when the MidCanterbury irrigation and power scheme was undertaken the waters of the Rakaia were not encroached on. If necessary the surplus water in the winter could be turned back into the Rakaia and used to generate 60.000 horse-power of seasonal power on the lines of the Highbank scheme. Another water supply scheme would benefit land higher up the Waimakariri. A water supply scheme similar to‘ that in the Downs area was proposed for Waikari-Hawarden.