WAIMAKARIRI FLOODS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1756, 6 October 1879, Page 3

WAIMAKARIRI FLOODS.

At last the report of the Resident Railway Engineer, applied for three or four times from Sir G. Grey and the Secretary for Public Works by the borough authorities at Kaiapoi, has been published. Tho matters therein seriously affected the interests of the town, but, from tho 4th November, 1878, to October 4th, 1879 -eleven months—the Borough Council had been unable to ascertain what Sir G. Grey's Government intended to do in its interests. The report has been, probably, partly acted upon, but it does not, unfortunately, include all that was necessary to meet the case. The engineer reports that he met tho Mayor of Kaiapoi on November 4th, 1878, and inspected tho effects of recent floods. The damages complained of were situated at the lower part of the town, near Mr Ellen's wool works, but the stream had set so determinedly against that bank, that nothing but works of great magnitude could prevent its cutting away that part of the borough, and the only feasible plan for preventing further damage was to allow as much water as possible to escape out of tho south branch into the outlet channel. To do this, the Engineer proposed cutting a channel at Stewart's Gully and, as a further means of relieving the pressure of the river, adding two 40ft. spans of iron girders to tho railway bridge. This, Mr Lowe considers, would meet " all the requirements of the railway, as well as fulfil the wishes of the landowners." The Town Council of Kaiapoi, however, consider it is entitled to recompense for the amount expended in defending the town from tho errors which were committed by the Government in constructing the Northern railway without sufficient openings for the egress of flaod water.