MANAWATU-OROUA RIVER BOARDS NEW PROPOSAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2890, 30 May 1925, Page 2

MANAWATU-OROUA RIVER BOARDS NEW PROPOSAL.

£171.000 SCHEME ADOPTED

A special meeting of the Mana-watu-Omua River Board was held last evening further to consider a modified scheme of Hood control. This was discussed at a meeting on Friday, April 17th, and reported in the "Times” of the following day. At. that meeting the Board eventually went into committee for the purpose of discussing with its solicitor the matter of compensation tor llowage rights. There were present last night: Messrs \V. S. Carter (chair), X. P. Nielsen, H. Wplton, A .Akers, B. G. Gower, M. F. Anderson, K. McDonald and P. Hay, (engineer). Apologies for absence were received from Messrs 1:1. Akers, and A Seifert. 'L’he engineer explained the moditied scheme to the meeting. Briefly pul, he said the perfect river control scheme designed to give the Manawatu and Oroua the best channels to the sea, remove flood menace and improve the drainage of the whole district, would cost £435,000. Included in such a scheme was the cost of purchase of land and building bridges. The limit that lands in the Board’s area can afford to pay for the beuelits derivable is £250,000. Without outside assistance such a proposal could not, therefore, he put

forward as a reasonable proposition. The modified scheme is designed to deal with floods up to 17 feet on the Fitzherbert Street gauge, combined with a flood in the Oroua. The estimate provides for improvements in llie existing channel by cutting oft* bends, levee building and putting in five spillways the main one being the Dloutoa spillway from Doctor Wall’s corner to Foxton. The scheme is estimated to cost £174,000, which sum includes payment of fair compensation to landowners injuriously affected by the proposed works. Details arc: —

Snagging lower channel of Oroua 800 Excavation for levees — 2,000,000 cubic yards at I/O ' 150,000 Culverts and flood gates 8,000 Diversion cuts and purchase of several areas (5,000 Elowage rights 9,000 Total £174,000 Mr Nielson proposed, and Mr McDonald seconded, that the modified scheme outlined by Dir Hay to cost approximately £174,000 be adopted as per the plan submitted to the meeting.—Carried unanimously. After fully discussing the scheme, members of the Board expressed tlit* opinion that when it was fully explained to the ratepayers, it would be favourably received by them as a sound practical proposition to relieve the present Hood menace to the district. It was regretted that the ratepayers who had signed the petition to abolish the Board had acted so precipitately, as it was considered that the scheme now to he submitted to them will convince them that the Board’s operations have resulted in proposals which will he favourably received by the majority. The <|iiestioii of approaching llie Government for liuaneial assistance for the scheme was discussed and ihe Board was unanimous in deciding that the earliest opportunity -tumid he taken to submit the scheme now adopted to the Government and a-k for £1 for £1 subsidy. The matter of acquitting (he ratepayers with the details of the pioposed scheme was also discussed and it is expected that the limird will, a.- soon a- opportunity occurs, institute an active publicity campaign to explain to the ratepayers and local bodies the main features of the scheme, and to give full information to all interested pa ft ies.