DON'T WANT THE OTAKI RIVER WORKS

Chronicle (Levin), 20 August 1948, Page 2

DON'T WANT THE OTAKI RIVER WORKS

Catchment Board Foresees Huge Maintenance Costs If the . Manawatu Catchment Board takes over the protection and . maintenance of tne Otaki River it is likely to 'find .itself sa'ddled with huge costs which will be entirely umeiated to revenue derived from rates which must be determined by proportionate costs and benefits. This was the feeling of the monthly meeting of the Catchment Board this week when a letter from the Soil ConservatLn and .Rivers Control Council advised that it could make the tower excavator at Otaki .available to the board from about the middie of September, and asked that the board's decision on the matter should be in the hands of the council by September 7. The letter stated that the council might consider granting a subsidy of £3 to £1 for two years on the work of the excavator. "That means taking over the Otaki River," commented Mr. J. D. Aitchison. "We are faced with' a job there," said the chairman (Mr. W. McKay) . "It is hard to say what money and work wiil be required for maintenance. It has cost quite a large amount for the work already done but the total cost of the work has not been made available to us. We should not decide to take the work over until we know what is the rating capacity of the Otaki area." The chief engineer to the board (Mr. P. G. Evans) said it should be possible to compiete a classification of the area within a year. He had taken out rough figures for the area which showt'd thafc lands receiving a class A benefit might be paying up to 2d, but with the same figures it seemed the average rate would be one penny in the £. He would like the boara to make its decision by September 7. He emphasised that the figures he quoted were not final. "This could be considered as something of a test case," Mr. P. V. Koehier said. "This work was started out at the public expense. I doubt if these extensive works wouict pay in any area. We should compaie the benefits with the costs to see if the area can stand .the loading." A classified area could stan'd oniy a certam amount of rating, out the ooard should not shirk its responsibilities if it could be avoided, said Mr. McKay. "If the area had had to . stand the expense the job would never have been commenced,'" said Mr. Aitcnison. "I douot if tne job or its. results have been finisned with. The river may start to meander again. Maintenance of the river may be crippling to the area to be rated. It would be a brave man who woui'd say what the cost wiil be in the next five years. It is possible that the work below the oridge, aiready completed, may have aggravated the position above the bridge. It is wrong to suggest we should take over the works no w; the engineer should be given the opportunity to go into the position more fuliy. I have always been anxious about 'the enormous cost of the job. £2000 was our first liability, but •now they have doubled tljat. They should retain it for a little longer." "When the clean-up comes and the amount of money wanted is put before the people, will they want the scheme?" asked Mr. S. W. Barber. "It is not the capital cost but the cost of maintenance," remarked Mr. M. O. Grainger. "Before ■>the scheme goes to the ratepayers they should have a f air idea of the bapital and maintenance costs. Maintenance is going to be the trouble. Unless it is very heaviiy subsidised the land will not stand up to it." The mouths of the rivers were among- the largest "works to bei ■undertaken in New Zealand, said 1 Mr. C. Forbes. In common with the sand dune country they should .be handled by the State. Mr. G. L. Ewen thought it was too soon for the board to assume •the control and maintenance of .the river. There should be more informaition and better understanding than at the present time, said Mr. Aitchison. The board would have to assume control of the river but ?it should not be yet. "I think it is a question of whether it is worthwhile to do these big jobs," said Mr. Koehle'r. "If we take it over we may get £1600 in rates; the Government would have to assist substantialiy or the work would not be done,' said Mr. Evans. "The work shou d be able to stand on its own feet." "The rates are creeping up and | up; it will be a question of how i much rating the Government j thinks the land should stand," Mr. Aitcnison remarked. "The A( class land is going to get it heaviiy." "This is going to be a very interesting proceeding because it is eventually going to apply to

other areas," said Mr. Grainger. It was decided that the engineer report more fuliy to the board, that the full board inspect the area following the receipt of the report, and - that the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council be advlsed that no decision could be forthcoming by September 7. The board will inspect the river on September 13.