Local Body Apathy

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 3, 19 January 1937, Page 8

Local Body Apathy

CENTRAL H.B. RIVERS Protest Voiced By Waipukurau Borough MINISTER'S 0FFER Strong exception to the way in which the recent conference of Booal bodies had approached the offer of the Minister of Public Works to have a preliminary survey made of the Tukituki and Waipawa rivers for the purpose of fiood-protection work was taken at last night's meeting of the Waipukurau Borough Council by Mr J. McCarthy. He considered that the apathy of the local bodies concerned was deploiable in view of the grave risk to human life likely to result in the event of a serious flood. - The Mayor, Mr I. W. N. Mackie, in reporting on tbe combined conference, said tbat it was obvious tbat tbe delegates were quite unlikely to come to any agreement in tbe matter, and be did not feel justified in pledging tbe Borough Council to share in tbe expense of sucb a major scheme as had been suggested witbout any indication of a guarantee as to wbat amount of tbe total cost bis council. would have to bear. Hbe thought tbat as the matter stood it was better for tbe Borough Council to* make wbat arrangements it could by itself, and be understood tbe clerkengineer bad a scheme under consideiution. Mr McCarthy, in speaking of certain residents in tbe low-lying portion of tbe town, said tbat they continued to view the menace of tbe xiver witn grave concern. He reminded council.lors there had already been one occasion when residents bad bad to wade tbrougb flood waters up to their armpits, and bad tbat experience been r«» peated during tbe night bours, m seemed likely during tbe heavy rain last week, it was more than likely tha* tragedy would have ensued. A copy of a letter received by Mr H. M. Cbristie, M.P., from the Minister of Public Works on tbe matter read ns follows: ."I recently agreed to contrlbute £650 toward the cost of' surveys of tbe Tukituki and Waipawa rivers provided tbe local bodies concerned contributed £350. This they have declined to do, and I tberefore regret. that I am unable to take any further action in connection witb tbe matter. i should be glad if you would advise tbe local bodies accordingly. You will resuise j;hat it is not possible to design any adequate scheme of flood-prote» tion until comprebensive surveys of tln> areas are carried out." "I regret tbat tbe borough has no. seen fit to support tbe matter in any way whatever, as I feel tbat no proteetion work can prevent flooding of the low-lying areas of the town unlcss tlie cbstructions in . tbe river-bed are removed to enable tbe water to go.* away," commented Mr Christie in hi.» covering letter. After tbe reading of tbe engineer's report later in the evening, Mr M*C:i rtby moved tbat in tbe interest of tlu, borough generally tbe clerk should op instructed to approacb the ^ Public Works Department and tbe Main High ways Board to ascertain wbat measure of support it would give 'the council in its eJTorts to provide flood proteetion. Mr R. W. Carpenter pointed out tbat tbe borough bad been prepared to support tbe scfieme of tbe Minister of PuB lie. Works for a preliminary survey and bad. agreed to bear a reasonable share of the cost of such a survey. Tbe; other councillors agreeing tbat tliis was so, it was decided to advise tbe Minister of this faet when writing, and also to write Mr Cbristie to this efiiect.