Protest At Idea Of Blowing Up Stopbank

Chronicle (Levin), 19 August 1949, Page 3

Protest At Idea Of Blowing Up Stopbank

. " ^ # "During the recent flood a proposal was made to blow up the late Dr. Walls' spillway bank at Moutoa presumably under the authority . of the catchment Board," sta'ted a letter draughted at yesterday's meeting of the Manawatu-Oroua River Board which is to'be sent to the Catchment Board. "We wish to enter an emphatic protest against this iritention. If the work had been' carried out the seven years consolidation of this. bank would have been destroyed, a large gap would have been made down to or below ground level, and every. small flood of 8ft 6in or over that level would discharge into the Moutoa, subdivision. The strictly limited protection allowed to the Moutoa ratepayers wou'd thus be completely wiped out. » * During the past 25 years these ratepayers had suffered severe injustice to give Makerua complete immunity from flooding from. the Manawatu" River overtopping its banks. We submit that in view of this record there is not the slightest necessity to lower this bank, but rather to raise the stopbanks along the Tokomaru stream. We wish to have a written assurance from your board that protective works constructed throughout the district by agreement between the parties concerned, will be maintained in their present state, otherwise the situation will become intolerable to a number of our ratepayers."