Progress With Major River Scheme

Chronicle (Levin), 23 March 1948, Page 3

Progress With Major River Scheme

'Within a reasonabiy short time the prepalation of the major s^eme hf flood control on the 1 Manawata; River- could be expected ■ to take Uhape/ sta'ted /'the clrief ! engi-eor to Ahe1 Manawata Catchi m- nt E- ai'd-, Pn/;g. vEvajns, Mn reporting to tne' mohthiy ilieetmg ! of the ooard. With the staff now ! on nyna. nure rapid progress could ! be expected. • . • - i m tne past four months plans, had been drawn up for a scheme l'r5m Wall's spillway to the sea, and cross sections *of the river 'bed (taken from " thev river mouth to the Shannon Bl'idge. ' Bank' levels! ha-d been, talk^n^fr'ofii Palmerston North tb Subv^t^' bend, -and schemes for ihe' elnriifiS&ioh- bf the bad bends in the riyer from Palmerston North to the Manawatu G-jrge had been considerable. f-The-.best method of p .'oviding erosiori relief appeared to be in rock protection work. The report of a geologist who had recently made an inspeetion was expccced in the near future. The provision of 'floodgates in Wali's spillway had been considerj ed and a quote had been received from a New Zealand firm for the Imanufacture of the gates. A good jpart of the lower area had been plotted by the dra ughtsman for Jclassifieation, mainly dealing with • the Moutoa area. Tlie question of I the best method -of ciassificatlon had been gone into at some length. Since his appointment to ihe staff just over a year ago, his time had been taken up with the j organisation of staff, plant, stores, ' gangs of workmen and getting ! familiar with the area, Mr. Evans ' continued. The work had been genI erally divided into tw-o classes, one > lof dealing with urgent problems, ' ancl another for the designing of a' major scheme. The most valuable part of the work done on the scheme re-:ulted frcm the perioa in ; which he became familiar with the nroblem.

Mr. Evans concluded by stating that from the inspeetion of rock work on the Cluiha River at Balclutha, he was of the opinion that ii rocks could be obtained at economieal rstes it would be the best method for the board to adopt for protection work in its area where norma 1 wiilow protection work was mt sufficiently strong to stan.1 the erosicn.