FLOODED AREAS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4406, 26 April 1922, Page 3

FLOODED AREAS.

ROTOKOHU RATEPAYERS. PETITION TO MINISTER. (Continued from Monday.) The following is a continuation of the report of the representations of the Rbtokohu Ratepayers’ Association to the Minister of Public Works (Hon. J. G. Coates) : This deputation wishes to present to your favourable notice their case, as separate from all other requests to be made to you. It is becasue we believe we have no option of protection, but only complete ruination of our lands, that, we stress the following proposals. The lands owned by the settlers of this deputation occupy a different position tp any other area under the Rivers Scheme., inasmuch as that the Public Works Department has hot, and possibly cannot, devise means to protest our lands, which.,, as a direct result of other river improvements,. must be sacrificed to the general scheme. We therefore beg to put our case, as follows: That the Pereniki cut be proceeded with ; that failing the cut a stop bank be, erected forthwith., that failing either; and the area being abandoned to silting and floods, that ,thesettlers be properly compensated for loss of land, compensation to be fixed on fair farm and improvement valuations.

In connection with the above, the settlers of this area do not desire to sell their, holdings, and in conjunction with unanimous local opinion, desire, that the Pereniki cut be put through. The Pereniki cut, as shown herewith, on map attached, is a cut •of-some twenty or twenty-four.'chains -at’the neck-of the Pereniki bend, in support of these settlers, ajnd the Pereniki cut, .we adduce the following evidence and. propositions: ' Firstly, authoritative engineering and public opinion have consistently favoured same, as follows*: Report, 1910 Rivers Commission, page XXI: "The Commission strongly recommends that the Pereniki Cut be put in.” Paragraph' 42, page 245.. 1910 Commission. The late H. H. Metcalfe, an engineer of 40 years’ experience, strongly recommended same. ■ Messrs W. Ferguson, 0. R. Vickerman (eir. gineer to Wellington Harbour Board) and H. R. Young,"engineers and gentlemen perhaps well known to yourself, have' also strongly supported this cut, ,We suggest also that the success 'of the cut ;and the Kautan cut go to prove the possible success of the proposed Peteiiiki Cut.' It may. be added, also/that. in view o’, the proposal to create’ junction yards of large dimensions in Paeroa,. at. a position suggested, adjacent to the Paeroa-Waihi railway junction on the left bank of the Ohinemuri River, that in this event the Pereniki Cut will be invaluable in providing a ■straight course for the Paeroa-Pokeno railway and also in obviating river crossings except at \»ie top of the Ngarar.ahi cut. The spoil from dredging the river, would provide ideal material for raising a railway yard, and, lastly, your engineers will acknowledge that the Pereniki cut would do away with the necessity of reconstructing or raising the present j railway bridge over the Ohinemuri ] River above the proposed Pereniki cut’. This proposal; Sir, will be dealt with at length by other local bodies, but we produce it as a serious factor for consideration.

Lastly, this association strongly supports the protests oif. the settlers of the Pereniki area under the present intolerable conditions they are suffering from. The settlers of this area are, a body of energetic, struggling farmers, all married men. The area occupied by them is one of the most fertile and .reproductive under good conditions in all New Zealand. In fact, their small holdings of twenty acres or more are an object lesson in what land can dp, as on much of the area the settlers were actually • milking about a cow to the acre. Tpday these farmers are compelled to get odd jobs by day, while their wives and families, struggle along with the farm. We feel sure, therefore, of - your aid and consideration on behalf of this area and its settlers. In conjunction with the Pereniki. settlers, it may be pointed out that a number "of settlers on the right bank of the Ohinemuri River above Paeroa will also be completely saved by the Pereniki cut. : Their river bank land is destroyed by floods that the Pereniki cut would completely control.

We would like to point out that; the estimated cost of Pereniki cut, shown in the appendix to the 1910 Commission’s report, is a very exaggerated one as it includes a great deal o' - work not forming part of the cut, such as fluming the river, past Thorp’s, putting a cut through Thorp’s etc. The actual cost pf the cut itself is a small item in the total pf the costs shown.

Finally, Sir, the settlers of these threatened areas wish to state that the foregoing petition re the Pereniki cut represents the opinion of practically all the districts of Paeroa. But we also understand that the expert opinion of the Public Works Department does not favour this proposal. Then, Sir, we beg for an immediate decision on the only alternative left to us. .

Failing the cut, and following the erection of stop-bpnks on the left bank of the Ohinemuri River, our present position will be entirely untenable, as your personal inspection will show. We therefore beg ‘that an immediate decision be made to buy our areas a.t fair valuations before the land and the settlers are ruined, as they will be ruined long before the work proposed is completed.. Some of our settlers in this regard would favourably consider an exchange for Government land of the value 'of their present holdings-

We desire to stress 'this fact, that the settlers of our areas are certain to be flooded put, and even drowned. We therefore ask that immediate provision be made 'for us before this certain rum takes place.