THE WAIRAU VALLEY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 63, 7 December 1917, Page 5

THE WAIRAU VALLEY

CONTROL OF THE RIVERS. The lower end of the Wairau Valley and tho town of Blenheim are areas that suffer very often from heavy floods on tho rivers. Of later years protective works havo prevented very ire-, quent inundations of the town area, but in the country there aro periodically heavy losses of stock. Now there are so many river hoards in the district that these" so-called protective works aro in places an actual source of dancer Somo little time ago one of the river hoards look proceedings against another board on account of damage done by the works erected by the latter board. This has precipitated the question of the amalgamation of the boards, which has always been a live question in the district. . Provision whs made 111 the River Boards Amendment Act of last session for tho amalgamation of groups ot river boards, and a deputation representing tho Wairau boards interviewed tlio Minister of Internal Affairs yesterday Jo how they should set about amalgamation as affecting then- case, lhcy Stormed the Minister that the several boards had agreed unanimously to amalgamate, but a condition was that the one scheme to bo adopted by the ontral board should ho prepared before the amalgamation was actually agreed tn Thov had agreed that there should bo a Single selfeme, but there their agreement ended, ami they came to the Minister for assistant and advice. It was arranged that this scheme to be übmi ted for adoption by the combined board should bo prepared by | the.Government at the expense of the hoards, and this will now bo done.