BOARD MEMBERS DISCUSS MANAWATU RIVER MATTERS

Chronicle (Levin), 20 April 1946, Page 3

BOARD MEMBERS DISCUSS MANAWATU RIVER MATTERS

A furthcr confliet of opinions between the Makerua aud Moutoa nicinbors (Messrs J. D. Aitchison and B. W. Barber) occurred on the time-vvorn questiou of stopbankiug along the ivliuiawatu liiver at the adjourned meeting of the Mauavvatu Catchuieut Board ou Tliursday. Before the board \vei.;e a letter from the ManawatuUroua itiver Board asking autliority to honour its agreoiueut with Ihe Flax Plan (Jommittee to raiso stopbauks to a master grade, and a report from Mr. 1 )JJ. iliilley drawing attentiou to the f'act that stopbankiug work wa's proeeeding below the •'defaulters ' camp at Paiaka Bend in coxitravention of tlie board 's expressed policy that uo further bauklug be done without prior approval. In liis mouthJy report Mr. llalley reported" that in coiineetion with reeeul requests to raiso the banks round Moutoa to master grade, his view was that uo work shou'id be permitted iu the lower Maiiawatu area vvhich would raise flood levels, if the Moutoa people wanted to reduee the amount and frequency of water going over their banks, there was only one way to do it, aml that was to get on with the . lower Moutoa scheuio as approved by the uoard. it would not take long to lower Wall's spillway and nonstruct guide banks down into the Moutoa along the proposed iocation of the maia banks for the flood coiitrol scheme. if the Moutoa people were allowed to dieker with the river, it would resuit in an indeiinite postponement of any major works, lie said. in eonueetion with Btage 3 oi the comprehensi ve flood control scheme, any or all of the works proposed could be put in liand as soon as the board counl arrauge linance. With regard to the pubiished statemeut by the iiax PJan (Jommittee tnat it intended carrviag on with the work ofraising banHs until Lold to stop, Mr. iialley recommendod that the board instruct the M anawatu-Oroua iiiver Board that this work must stop. "i wduld like to know uhat has accounted for the engiuoor's change oi' lace in this matter," declared Mr. Lind. "Previously he toid tlie board that no decision regarding banking could be made until a full survey had iieen made and levels takcn. JS'ow he gives us this decision without the iniormatiou he asked for." Mr. Barber strongly supported Mr. Lind, stating that the board had not diacussed the major scheme since the boil Conscrvation and Rivers Control Couucii had suggested certain modilications.. , ' ' Wiien your house is on flre, you don't wait until it is burned down betore you try to save it, " declared Mr. Baruer. "The same jjosition exists at Moutoa. Much of tliis banking is iieecssiiry now to save property, aud if we have to wait for the major scheme, we won't have any property to save." Major Scheme Wanted. Mr. Aitchison said he would like to see the major scheme put into operatiou as soou as possible because it was the only scheme which would eirectively solve all their problems. At the same timo he wanted to see a stop put to illegal 'banking. He predicted that some startliug evideace would shortlv be forthcomiug regarding spillways. When levels are taken it would be showu that the spillways were too high. in regard to flood levels, he said ther« was no safety margiu in the Shannon area. " If we' have anothcr flood this winter similar to that iu 19-11 1 hcsitate to think uhat might liappen," said Mr. Aitchison. "The board has said before that no further banking sliould be done without our prior approval, and yct we haven't the streiigth to abide by that decision. We should reiterato unequivocabiy that 110 further bankiug is to be doue without our consent aud stand lirmly by that ruliug. " Mr. Barber: These cases should be judged 011 their merits. Small sections oi' banking can be done quite safely without afl'ecting levels ou the other side of the river, aud they would be the meaus of saving property. Temporary Relief. Mr. Johuston moved that the Mana-watu-Oroua Iviver Board should be asked to cxpedite the survey of the river aud the taking of levels with a view to giving temporary relief by lowering the spillways if required until the major scheme was put iu liaud. Iu secouding the motion, which was carried, Mr. Lind said this information was urgently required as a basis for discussion. In regard to the River Board 's letter it was decided to reply statiug that the Catchment Board had no knowledge of an agreement between that board and the Flax Plan {Jommittee iu regard to raising stopbauks, and in the absence of any such information could not see their way clear to graat the application. In regard to the stopbankiug being carried out by tlie Flax Plan (Jommittee at Paiaka Bend, it was decided to write to the River Board asking wlietlier this was being done with its permission, and if not wliat steps were being taken to stop the work.