FLOOD PREVENTION

Chronicle (Levin), 12 February 1948, Page 4

FLOOD PREVENTION

, ... f!-,1 -• •- Big S.cheroe 0»t Fw W#?wa Beaeli Area ' Plans-, for p " £16,300 .scheme of fiocrd preventfon work in the Waikawa, ©each. area, Manakau, were made known" yesterday when a (feputafion irepr.esenfative pf interested setllers waited bh the monthly * meeting of the Horowhenua County Council, seeking assistance arrd support with the project. Tfie deputation compri^ed Messrs. B. R. Robinson, L. Barkla, S. Sloafi "and H. C^mpbell, ar\d was' in supr pprt df a petition frpm the §ettlers "affected by .tbe' flQofidng. ,Cfi. A. M. Atkins introdueed the deputation and briefly explained the" suMfect which it was bringihg lorward.f For a number of years* the settlers in the area had, f elt that a ficod prevention scheme should be formulate'd and carried out, said Mr. Robfnson. ' With the advent of tlie Manawatu Gatchnient Board bhe time h.ad seemed .oppprtune for 'something to be done. * The board had been approached -and in consequence its members and engineer inspected: the area. A* scheme of work,T estfifiated* fd cost £16,30.0, had been br.oifght down by the board. an'd a .classification made. "The work would carry a GOvernmeht subsidy, through tlie Rpil Cpnservatfpn and Rivers Control- Council, of -up to £3- fgr £f .and the bala'nce would have. tp .be found By those who would benefit frQm

bhe scheme. It was proposea tnat this be finaneed by way of a loan. " Several meetings of the .interested settlers had Been held, proceeded -Mr. -Rpbinson, and to avoid taking a loan "poll if it was likely to b,e rejected, the bbard had asked thap some indication be • glven as tp •whether or not they wished to carry the project forward. At a recehp meeting attended by practically all the pettlers in the area who were directly or indirectly affected each one's financial • obligations and future responsibfiities under the scheme .were ouflined. Afterwards, on a vote being taken, a motion tp ask the board to raise a voluntary , loan and proeeed was rejected, largely on the vote of the settlers who were not at the momeipt directly affected by the flooding. It had been suggested at _ that meeting, added M'r. Rpbinson, that the council' be" "approached for assistance as it had some. -responsibility in the matter. The scheme envisaged the elimination of one bridge and' the replacement of another because it was unable tp tak-e the volume of water required ar\d therefore contributed to " the ficoding. In addition, the scheme would give an access to Waikawa Beach which was free from fioodring., « Mr. Rpbinson said that the scheme, af carried out, would save 1300 acres of valuable land from flopding "and a further 4000 acres from potential flooding. The counr cil would have some expehditure there whatever happened, and the

deputation felt that all mterestpd parties should co-operate to ensure that the work carried out was a permanent jpb. Numerous questions were asked members of the deputation. The chairman, Mr. A. M. Colquhoun, said it would be most un.fortunate for the settlers if tfie scheme was not proceeded with, but it was largely a matter for them. The project was oue of the largest yet brought forward by the Manawatu Catchment Board,t an,d he thought eyery fikely /ayenue ;?|iould' be explored in* ah endeavour tp bring ft to frui-tion. The cpunpil would benefit po some ektent if the work w;as carried puf; pnd fie. could assure the deputation" " of its. sympathetic consideration. A bi'ief discussiofi "By tfie couficil followed tfie depfitption's fipjailpment. Cr. f. D. Aitcfii^on *sUggbSted that the matter be referred -to the cpuncil's epgineer tpr. •ffy) R. Frasef) for -a s.urvey and fiejBrtias to the benefit? : Ivfiich "wQTfifi be derived by tfie 'scheme frpm the county 's point of Uew. Tfiis ."v^is adopted by the epuncfi, /, 1''?-? - ^