MANAWATU-OROUA RIVER BOARD SCHEME.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3586, 13 January 1927, Page 1

MANAWATU-OROUA RIVER BOARD SCHEME.

(Continued from page 3). bo over the average in value to the State), and that of the adjoining towns, will bring about an increase in the ‘human capital’ of New Zealand of £4,361,000. These benefits arc in the nature of community benefits rather than of Government benefits. Nevertheless, in. the opinion of your commissioners, they afford opportunity, potentially, for Government benefit, and are, therefore, of value to the Government. The potential Government benefit contained in them cannot be computed, but your commissioners think, after consideration, that they may, for the purposes of a general estimate of Government benefit, be taken as having a value of £20,000, making a total benefit under this head of £200,083. A further factor oT Government benefit is tire benefit to Crown lands in the river district, and the added security to Government mortgages over lands and chattels in that district.

The detailed returns from the departments concerned in this feature of Government benefit disclose the following: Discharged Soldiers’ Properties, Education Reserves, Crown Freehold Properties, Land Department, current account for improvements, stock and chattels, £121,000 Is Gd; State Advances to Settlers, £45,500; Government Life Insurance advances, £20,G ( J2; total, £190,852 Is 6d. “It will be obvious that, when the lands either owned by or mortgaged to the State are fully rated for betterment there will not be the extensive benefit to the Crown under this head that might at first appear from the foregoing figures. Clearly, however, there is a benefit, particularly m the case of stock and chattels held by settlers on current account from the Government. This latter benefit is estimated by the Crown Lands Department at'lo per cent, of the Crown s security of £11,437, or say, £IOOO. For the purposes of a rough estimate of this and all other Government benefit under this head, we have allowed the sum of £4OOO. , , , “The found also that the proposed operations would provide a better location for a main highway between Levin and Palmerston North; a direct capitalised maintenance saying to the Government of £9700; a direct saving in distance estimated to effect a saving to the community of £63,400; and benefits to the Government railways, capitalised at 6 per cent., representing a sum of £6650.” DAMAGE BY FLOOD.

On the question of the extent to which demands on the Government from settlers suffering loss or damage through floods, the commissioneis stated: “We have been unable to discover that prior to the present year any Government grants, other than a subsidy on a £1 for £1 basis 1 in the years ' 1908-11, amounting to £39(M, have been made to settlers in the river district for loss or damage sulfered by them from floods. This year, however, the former flood risk has in those portions of the district outside the Makerua subdivision been very much increased by the banking operations of the Makerua Drainage Board. The area of the Makerua drainage district- is 21,143 acres, and it will be readily understood that the water shut out from this basin must find a higher level in the remainder of the area. The River Board’s evidence in this connection remained unchallenged, and your commissioners have no reason from their own observation to doubt its accuracy. Observation of the flood of November, 1924, which was only 40 per cent, of the known maximum (1902) flood, and seven feet lower at the Fitzherbert bridge than the maximum, showed that water at Moutoa was two feet four inches higher than during the 1902 flood. The flood of July last was 36 per cent, of the maximum and eight feet lower at the Fitzherbert bridge, but it filled the Kairanga to within three feet of the level of the 1902 flood. It will be clear, therefore, that tlie effect of the Makerua banks is to greatly increase the level in the remaining areas of medium floods, and that the effects of a large flood in the remaining areas may be disastrous. The recent flood was a comparatively small one, but as a result of demands from the settlers the Government has agreed to subsidise on a pound for pound basis up to £2OOO the renewal of the breached stop-banks on the Manawatu and the Oroua rivers. Such demands are likely to be repeated in the future, and in the event of larger floods occurring would be in increasing ratio. WORTHY OF SUPPORT.

“It will be further seen that, unless a complete scheme of river control under one body is adopted, the settlers in those parts of the river district outside the Makerua subdivision will be compelled to take remedial measures to protect their properties, measures which are likely to be of a piecemeal or patchwork nature. The alternative to a single comprehensive scheme is a ‘banking war,’ which must be more costly than a single scheme, and is likely to be ineffective in providing what is desired, viz., a reasonable degree of security to every part of the district. We think, therefore, that from this viewpoint the River Board’s scheme is worthy of a certain degree of monetary support from the Government. The amount of Government contribution to avoid the necessity of future payments to settlers under this heading cannot be even approximately estimated, as A depends on the size and frequency of future floods. The commissioners consider, however, that any scheme which promises to rid the Government of such demands would on that account effect a benefit to the Government of many thousands of pounds. Assuming that Government assistance under these heads will amount to £2OOO per annum, the saying of this amount represents a capital Government benefit of £23,000. “The Government through the Main Highways Board, will be called upon to pay more than half the cost of replacement of the bridge over the Manawatu river on the Foxton-Shan-non road, now partially destroyed by flood. The expense to the Government in this connection is estimated to be over £9OOO. The necessity for such expenditure fortunately lias not frequently arisen, but the risk i s ~9n e which exists in the present condition of the river, and would be reduced by efficient river control. Your commissioners estimate the Government benefit under this head at 1 £IO,OOO. (Concluded on page 4).