PROPOSED DRAINAGE SCHEME.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2522, 23 December 1922, Page 3

PROPOSED DRAINAGE SCHEME.

DEPUTATION WAITS ON HARBOUR BOARD.

Members of the recently-con-stituted Manawatu-Oroua River Drainage Board, headed by their chairman, Mr R. T, Bell, waited on tlie Fxton Harbour Board at Thursday’s meeting to urge that body’s co-operaton—moral and financial — in a scheme that the Drainage Board would probably bring down in the near future as far as it affected the Harbour Board’s area.

Mr Bell explained that his board had drawn up a scheme to protect the lower basin of the Manawatu from future .floods by constructing a drain from a point just below the junction of the Manawatu and Oroua rivers in a straight line across country to an outlet about 5 miles above the mouth of the Manawatu. At the last meeting of the Board, however, Mr Hay, consulting engineer submitted a survey showing that the proposed Himatangi cut was impossible, as the levels were against (hem, and consequently the cost, estimated at two and a half millions, was prohibitive. The Drainage Board now had in embryo a scheme to make the cut lower down. Anyone who had followed the history of thevlistriet and the measures that have been taken for protection from floods, said Dir Bell, realised that under the altered conditions now obtaining, some big scheme would have to be adopted to protect the land on both sides of the river. About 75,000 acres at present were subject to flooding. It was not only a matter of vital importance to the areas controlled by the two Boards but to the Government as well, as the Foxton line had often been interfered with by flood waters. The alternative scheme would bring the cut through to Hartley’s bend and it was the latter portion of the scheme that the Harbour Board’s co-operation was desired.

Mr A. Seifert said the Drainage Board had not yet received a final recommendation from its engineer, and therefore they could not put definite proposals before the Harbour Board. It would be some months before then, but in the meantime they could don their considering caps. Mr J. A. Nash reminded those present that any expenditure incurred by the Harbour Board would have to be met by way of loan, and therein lay a possible difficulty. The Ib.ard had given the ratepayers to understand that they would not be committed to any further expenditure when the loan for taking over the wharves was carried. 1 hey appreciated the position and he saw that the Drainage Board’s scheme was going to revolutionise the properties concerned. (Hear, hear). The speaker Could foresee no difficulty in the Manawatu-Oroua Board raising the necessary funds, but there must be co-operation by the parties. Air ,J. Linklater endorsed what Mr Nash had said, and promised that his Board would do its best to assist the scheme in any way possible. After the deputation had retired Mr E. R. Holben'moved, Air .1. Chrystall seconded, and it was carried that when the Drainage Board had definitely decided on the route of tin 1 proposed cut, the Board would consider it, it being understood that the attitude of the latter body hinged on the effect of the scheme on the wharves.