RIVERS COMMISSION REPORT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 453, 18 March 1909, Page 3

RIVERS COMMISSION REPORT.

A BIG CUT RECOMMENDED

TO COST ,£350,000.

The Commission set up to investigate several important questions relating to the drainage of the Pohaugina, ‘Oroua and Manawatu rivers has made its report, which will be referred to the local bodies interested for their consideration.

The Commission comprises : Messrs A. D. Thomson, S.M., W. S. Short (Roads Department), G. J. Robinson (District Engineer, Roads Department), an:l Chas. A. Vickermau (District Engineer, Public Works Department).

Its instructions were to report upon the desirability of instituting one or more united Land Drainage districts instead of the four now existing in the area, and to formulate, if practicable, a comprehensive scheme of drainage for the Pohangina, Oroua and Manawatu rivers, so that they might be made more effective as a means of drainage and less injurious to the lands through which they flow.

Four schemes were considered by the Commission, which recommends the cutting of a new channel for the Manawatu river, starting at Fisherman’s point, then cutting into an almost straight line for Foxtou, through the flats to the returned bend of the river, which it will cross, then cutting through the point at Matakarapa immediately opposite the wharves. Crossing the river it would come out a little to the east of the wharves, and hugging the foot of the dry land on the extreme west side of the Moutoa low land, join the river at the Moutoa Maori Church.

This scheme would reduce the distance from Foxton to the Heads by two miles. Its cost would be about ,£350,000. The Commissioners report discusses the question of who should pay for carrying out the scheme. No doubt, it states, the whole of the 70,000 acres subjected to flood should contribute, but it had also been urged that the whole watershed and the towns which would benefit commercially from the increased productiveness of the relieved area and the Government itself (by subsidy or endowment) might help to bear the burden. The Commissioners consider it would be unfair to levy the owners of land in the ;upper watershed, as they only do what they are entitled to do in the ordinary course and the waters get into the river by gravitation only. Therefore the Pobangina, Kiwitea, and Oroua Counties should be excluded from the rateable area. The towns should also be excluded, as the benefit derived from the scheme would only be enjoyed by a few merchants. As the works would benefit the whole country by increasing the productivity of the land and its capacity for taxation, the Foxton Railway would be protected from flood and the Manawatu bar would probably be so much improved by the scheme as to result in increased shipping and consequent wharfage collected by the Government, the Commissioners are of opinion that the State should bea r some portion of the cost.

The report continues that the 70,000 acres of laud affected would be enhanced in value by to an acre and would be able to bear an annual acreage rate of 5s per acre. The rating should be upon an average, rather than a valuation basis and the lauds should be classified, as those now ■of least value will benefit most by the scheme. The scheme recommended deals only with the “Manawatu river below the Rougburn railway bridge and the Oroua below Awahup bridge, the Commissioners being of opinion that the difficulties in the areas above these points are only those of erosion, which could be effectively dealt with by Boards set up under the River Boards Act. It should be made an offence punishable by • a substantial penalty to allow stock to damage either public or private protective works. The constitution of a Tower Manawatu River Board is recommended to control the Manawatu river from the termination of the proposed cut near Fishermen’s Point to Rongburn railway bridge and the Oroua river from its junction with the Manawatu to the Awahuri bridge.

The excellent character of the land and its severe handicap through flood is noted by the Commission, which is of opinion that it would amply repay the settlers and the Dominion to undertake the straightening of the river by putting in the first cut from Foxton to Moutoa from the three to the nine mile point. This would, by considerably relieving the flooded area, give such evidence of its value as to convince the settlers of the advisability of completing the whole scheme.