Artificial Lake Plan Faces Difficulties

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30469, 17 June 1964, Page 18

Artificial Lake Plan Faces Difficulties

Although the Lake Bryndwr Water Ski Club’s scheme to build an artificial lake near Christchurch Airport was faced with difficulties, investigations would be continued, the club's annual meeting was told.

In a letter to the club, the secretary of the Civil Aviation Administration (Mr H. T. R. Taylor) said the construction of an artificial lake near the north-west end of the secondary runway at Harewood would aggravate the existing bird problem and the club’s request for a reconsideration of the scheme was declined.

The club's new president (Mr J. Gascoyne) said final advice was awaited from the Wild-life Division of the Department of Internal Affairs. But, be added, the club's option on the land expired at the end of the month.

Mr Gascoyne said the Civil Aviation Administration could not stop the club from forming its proposed 80-acre lake. But if, in four or five years’ time, pure jets were operating through Harewood, the administration could demand the closing of the lake and the club would lose all it bad worked for, although it would receive compensation. The club’s solicitor (Mr J. G. Dallison) had suggested that the club should look for another site for its project, said Mr Gascoyne. The club had alternative water, but its

location could not be disclosed at present, he added. Mr R. H. Kirk, who recently accompanied Mr Gascoyne to Wellington for discussions on the issue with the Civil Aviation Adiminstration and the Wildlife Division, said he would like further time to continue investigations in the area. The meeting voted to leave the matter in the hands of the committee. Disrupted by Swimmers Reviewing the serson at Lake Bryndwr, the retiring president (Mr K. Shearer) said that for some members at least activities were not as great as in other years, but nevertheless had been enjoyable. At times skiing had been disrupted by swimmers—a problem he referred to as a “hardy annual” —and at other times the water level had got a little low. But he described Lake Bryndwr as a “happy club." Officers elected were:—patron, Mr S. Jonathan; president, Mr J. Gascoyne: vicepresident, Mr K. Shearer; secretary, Mrs C. Kirk; treasurer, Mr G. McLean: club captain, Mrs K. G. Annett; deputy-club captain, Mr R. H. Kirk: committee, Mrs N. Aspinall, Messrs A. Aspinall, R. Martell, R. McMaster, T. Patterson, A. Sparrow and I. McDonald; delegates to the Canterbury Regional Water Ski Association, Mrs Kirk, Messrs Annett and Sparrow.