FARNDON FLOODING

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 6, 22 January 1937, Page 4

FARNDON FLOODING

Settlers Complain oi Loss Suffered NEW MOUTH URGED The delay by the Hawke's Bay Rivers Board in opening the new mouth for the Tutaekurl river through the beach at the Waitangi Washout is viewed with considerable anxiety by a number of settlers. Last week some hundreds of acres of t&eir good grazing lands were ffooded over the fehce-tops, caiusing cpnsiderable loss and inconvenience. Tho settlers are strongly of tlie opmion that the delay in carrying oui: the making of the new mouth, wliieh marks the final stage of the Tutaekuri river diversion scheme, has not been justiiied. The suggeetion that the winter months will afford the opportune timo to do this work is not- viewed in a favourable light by the settlers. "I am satisfied that one-quart'er of the flood in the riyer last week would have been ample to do the job if it had been undertaken properly," was the opinion expressed by one of the settlers concerned in conversation with a reporter this morning. "While the present channel remains as it is," he continued, "we get the full effect of any rise in the river rigiife down on top of us. I am, satisfied that the opening of the new mouth can be carried out at any time without waiting for any flood in the river. By the making of a cut through the beach isimultaneously with the closing off of the present chaimel, the river would not have to pond very much to push a way through the cut, scouring it quickly once the water began to run through. If it is considered that there was not a sufficient head in the river last week, when we were flooded over the fencetops, then we are in for something disastrous if the Rivers Board decides to delay the opening until it can»b« done by floodiug." Another settler stated that last week'B flooding had made hie land practically useless for some time. HA did not get any silt by which he could have received a little benefit. The river isimply poured over on top of them, th® settlers being helpless to protect their land from flooding. He did not think that the seriousnes> of the position was generally realised, Concern was expressed when the traffic was held up for a while owing to the flood being over the road) but little notice was taken of What had happened to the settlers. As the result of th* flood he had lost a lot of valuabl^ grazing and was obliged to put u number of hie stock on to the market. He expressed the hope that the Rivers Board would take steps to open the new mouth and so protect the settlers from further unnecessary flooding, which &* this time of the -season coilld not oceur. without causing considerabl® loss.