MANAWATU-OROUA RIVER BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 40024, 16 November 1929, Page 1

MANAWATU-OROUA RIVER BOARD.

FLOOD CONTROL POLICY.

H3U " '■ OBVIATES SMALL CUTS

The monthly meeting of the Ma-nawatu-Oroua River Board was -held at Palmerston North on Thurs - day, MU AV. S. Carter presiding. Also present were Messrs A. Seifert, R. Tanner, A. Buchanan, B. G. Cower, 11. Alters. R. J. Law, 1., E, C. Harrison and H. Barb'er. ■ ’

On behalf of Mr. J. Holden, KaiOanga, M/r. Weddell waited upon the meeting with a request that the 'board should consider putting in a cut. in the Oroua River to do away with several bends some distance above Mangawhafca. 'The chairman pointed out that there was the danger of flooding the settlers below the area .mentioned. The position was known to be serious, but, unless the whole scheme was proceeded with, it was not possible to do anything without inconveniencing others to the same extent. It was necessary that there should be an adequate outlet and it seemed'essential that work should be done at the river mouth first'in order to have an adequate outlet before forcing down a volume of water that could not be coped with under present conditions.

PART OF MODIFIED SCHEME.

The engineer (Mr. F. C. Hay) said that the course of the Oroua River was particularly tortuous ever a length of one mile a little distance above Mangawhata. The cuts proposed were part of the modified scheme. The board had to take into consideration the effect that the cuts would have on settlers’ -property lower down and, to counterbalance the cuts, consideration would have to be given to making the main cut at the Oroua River mouth. /

The matter was deferred until other applications before the meeting had been considered. WIORK AT KOPUTAROA.

Mr. Andrew Guy also waited upon the board on behalf of Koputaroa settlers, who desired permission to commence building protective works at a. cost of £IBOO. He stated that, under present conditions, due to breaches in the stopbanks on Messrs Newman’s and Speirs’s property, and to the fact that the Aratang’a drain had no floodgate at its outlet into the Manawatu River, certain areas were subject to frequent and severe flooding'. It ,was intended to proceed with'the erection of new flood-' gates and culverts, to repair stopbanks and carry out general river protection work. The proposed works would be in harmony with llooil protection works about to be undertaken by the Buckley Drainage Board, and the effect of them would he to safeguard "the area from floods of average size. Mr. Guy added that a meetiug of settlers had discussed the matter and it was requested that the board should form a special rating area and obtain Government assistance.

The chairman said that, provided the board was not be put to any expense, it would consider the matter. He did not think that the board would have any objection to the Settlers carrying out the work. ANOTHER BOARD SUGGESTED. Mr. Gower said that the best idea seemed for the settlers concerned to form their ,own board gild collect their own rates.

His application was also held in abeyance. The Maikerua Drainage Board sought permission to proceed with a cut in a double bend in the Manuwatu River near the Moutoa Hall. '

The chairman stated that, if piecemeal schemes were to be carried out, tlieu the whole main scheme would have little prospect f»i being commenced and there would he a possibility of losing Government assistance.

The board’s solicitor (Mr. P. E. Baldwin) gave aii opinion that, so long as the hoard did anything under its powers, it had to function as a board. The River Board would take the responsibility once it gave its permission for work to be carried out. However, because the board had done cue piece of work, there was no need for it to do oLhei pieces of work. If cuts were put through, the board would be liable icr compensation for any damage done to settlers below, by reason of extra water being put upon then’ sections, just as it would be if a section of a channel were cleared, the stop-banks raised and extra water sent down, thus causing damage. He did not think that the board should make any hard and last- rules about allowing woilk to proceed, but should consider every proposal on its merits. Mr.R. J. Law moved and Mi’. Harrison seconded, that the Makerua Board be advised that the River Board cannot see its way to include a portion of Moutoa in the special rating area and this was agreed to. -

The application of tlfe.Aratangata settlers was held over till next meeting pending the rescinding by notice of motion, of the decision to create the whole Ivoputaroa subdivision as a special area. The engineer pointed out that it would be better for the Aratangata settlers and Moutoa Drainage Board to do their respective works separately.

Mr. Law then gave notice of motion to create the two special districts asked for.

NOTHING ABOVE BIG (CUT

Codling back to the question of whether the Board should keep on granting requests for small jobs to bo done, Mr. Gower moved and Mr. 11. Akers seconded that in the meantime.the River Board shall not agree to make any cuts or do other wmlk above the big Moutoa cut that will taccelerate the flow of flood water until such time as the outlet is” improved to deal with the acceleration.

Mr. Buchanan: Will -that prevent the cuts in the Oroua asked for?

Mr. Gower: It will stop everything. Mr. Harrison was of .opinion that if it came to creating a. special aica for the Oroua cuts, the settlers would turn the proposal down. Mr. Gower’s motion was canned.