RIVER LOOP MENACE

Chronicle (Levin), 7 January 1948, Page 3

RIVER LOOP MENACE

foxton still concerned The Manawatu River loop is still causing the people of Foxton much concern, with the result that a special meeting of the Foxton Borough Council was held just before Christmas. The meeting, which was convened by the Mayor (Mr. H. H. Podmore), was fully attended by the .council and staff . It was unanimously decided to request the immediate opening of the dam for the flushing of the loop and, failing Ministerial attention to the council's request, to call a public indignation meeting. Opening the meeting the Mayor said that f ollowing the serious view of the river loop position taken by councillors at the monthly meeting of the council two telegrams were despatched, one to the Minister of Health and the other to the Miniser of Works. A reply had been received forthwith from the Minister of Health and when no reply had come to hand from the Minister of Works, he had 'phone'd that Minister's office and stressed the seriousness of the position and advised that a special meeting of the council was being called. Following that the Town Clerk had received a telegram in reply from the Minister. As he.was not prepared to hold the matter up until the next regular meeting of the council, the Mayor said that he had then convened the special meeting that evening. He di'd not know where the flaxmill came into the council business, the council being interested particularly in its sewerage system. When a deputation had waited on-the Miniy ster some time ago, the mill had been mentioned and he was probably considering the position eonjointly . The town clerk (Mr. Wm. Trueman) said that he had prepared a summary which he submitted as follows: — The problem facing both the Government and the people of Foxton created by the diversion of the Manawatu River through the Whirokino Cut, and the sealing off of the loop so formed is not easily 6olved. I propose, therefore, to set down as briefly as possible the nature of the problem and some suggestions that may assist in its solution. "Years ago flooding in the lower reaches of the Manawatu River caused severe losses to the farming community in this area, and fiooded roads considerably impeded communications between Foxton and both Levin and Shannon. "In June, 1927, Mr.'F. C. Hay, civil engineer, submitted a scheme to the Manawatu-Oroua River Board which would shorten the river by more than 20 miles and so facilitate discharge of the flood' waters. Mr. Hay proposed a cut through. what we know as Rush Flat, 50 feet wide, 12 feet deep and 57 chains long; also a cut termed the ManawatuKuku Cut w'hich would leave the river at a point half a mile north of the Main Drain outlet and rejoin the river in Hartley's Bend, cutting off 3 miles 60 chains of the river. This cut was -56 chains long, 40 feet wide, and 35 feet deep. A third cut (termed the "Main Cut") was also proposed from a point 1 \ miles above the Foxton Wharf to traverse the Moutoa and meet the river near the Poplar Mill. These major cuts with sundry other cuts, bridges, floodgates, stop banks, etc., were estimated to cost over £200,000 in 1927. The Foxton Borough Council did not favour the scheme, having in mind the possible effect on the septic tank outlet and possible silting of the river loop. "Years later, ih 1945, it became obvious that the position insofar as •.Foxton was concerned was deteriorating badly, and an inspection of the cut was made by councillors in November of that year. As the summer approached, the position became unbearable, as the whole of New Zealand Woolpack's stripping mill wash water (about 5000 gallons per minute), the Main Drain and the borough sewage effluent were all discharging into the stagnant water in the loop, together with sundry other drains. "In April, 1946, the Public Works Department built a dam across the head of the loop, about half a mile below the entrance to the cut, effectively sealing off the loop from the river at its top end. The position insofar as Foxton was concerned still got worse, and on February 17, 1947, the council convened a conference of parties interested in the river and the loop. Representatives of the Catchment Board, the Moutoa Drainage Board, the Harbour Board, and local organisations attended and discussed the matter with representatives of the Public Works Department. A resolution was carried unanimously asking the Public Works Department to devise a scheme to place ■ sufficient river water back in the loop to safeguard Foxton health and industry." Following a lengthy discussion by the council, Crs. Small and Field moved a resolution that a telegram be sent to the Minister of Works, asking that immediate steps be taken to open the dam as a temporary expedient pending further investigation of the problem by the department. This was carried unanimously.