Flood Prevention In This District

Chronicle (Levin), 26 April 1949, Page 3

Flood Prevention In This District

Another step forward in the improvement of the Tokomaru . River was made at Thursday's meeting of the Manawatu-Oroua River Board, when the Soil Conservation Council's subsidy ' of £3 to £1 for the work was accepted. It was decided to write to the council advising that £1000 in rates would be available from the Makerua area each year, the first instalment immediately. The board would request that the work be done at once because of the willow menace in the upper section. The Manawatu Catchment Board .has undertaken to do the work and it will cost about £20,OOQ. Other items of local interest were discussed by the board arid in his report the engineer (Mr. H. R. Farquhar) stated that the work on Speirs' setback would be coinpleted at the end of the month. Four chains of the bank at the down stream end were up to the grade where the lead was greatest. Repairs to the Buckley floodgate were completed, with the floor one foot lower and well reinforced. He suggested that when a trailer pump was removing spoil from dams in the Koputaroa and Buckley streams in the near future, it should also clean McOills' " floodgate. His suggestions were adopted by the board. It was decided^that all the rates in the board's area would be the same this year as they 2Vere last

year, except„ that .Moutoa rates would be increased sixpence and Makerua would have an extra threepence administration tax. N.Z. Woolpacks and Textiles, Ltd., advised that the flax which had been planted by them on Spring's point six or seven years ago had been harvested recently, there being ahout 683 tons. The firm said that" a chain of flax had gone into the river as a result of the eastern side of the cut not being completed. The original cost of putting in the flax had been £420. The board received the letter and reserved decision.