NAPIER RIVER BANK

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 39, 2 March 1937, Page 3

NAPIER RIVER BANK

May be Removed at Risk of Borougb "a panic job" The river bank along George 's Drive, Napier South, is regarded as a handicap in the beautifying of the locality. At yesterday 's meeting of the Hawke 's Bay Rivers Board Mr. J. H. Sheath asked if this bank could not be removed, and in reply the board said that, as the old river had been abandoned, the Napier Borough CouncU was f ree to remove the bank at its own risk. Mr. Sheath pointed out that the bank was already down in a number of places and towards Meeanee it had been completely removed by a number of .settlers. At Napier South the settlers wished to know how they stood in the matter. Some time ago the board made an announcement that the bank could be removed by the settlers at their own risk. Now that the Tutaekuri diversion scheme had been completed he would like to hear a statement from the board concerning this bank. The Napier Borough Gouncil wanted, he "said, to beautify George 's Drive, and he pointed out that there were proposals to develop the Marewa block. To-day the bank was simply a dump for xubbish and any use tfiat it migkt have had was long past. Mr. G. Rochfort, engineer, said that the board could not aecept any responsibility for the removal of the bank. The clerk, Mr. W. J. Pallot, said that the board had now abandoned the channel and did not want anytfiwg to do with it. It did not want to take any responsibility for what was done with the bank. The Borough Council could do as it pleased as long as it would take the responsibUity. It was generally recognised that the removal of this bank would not leave the settlers open to any flood risk. It was hardly coneeivable that anyone would have a claim against the Borough Council. The board would not proceed against it. If a flood were to break over the present big bank of the river, the bank in George 's Drive would be ineffective in protecting the settlers. The chairman said there was no objection to the council going ahead with the removal of the bank at its own risk. Mr. L. E. Harris; We have abandoned the channel; they can do as tliey like with it. Mr. R. E. Tvalbot: If there is any .•esponeibility arising out of the itt moval of the bank, sureiy those who remove it should take it. Mr. Harris: The bank was not there before the earthquake. It should never have been there at all. The whole thiug was a mistake. It was never in the board 's scheme. "It w/vs a panic job after the earthquake," said Mr. W. H. CampbelL The danger of the railway-crossing at the Marewa bridge was stressed by Mr. Sheath. The board decided that it had no objection to the removal of the bank, b#ut it could not accept any responsibility atising out of this being don».