REQUEST TO BOARD

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 114, 12 April 1940, Page 3

REQUEST TO BOARD

REMOVAL OF STOP-BANKS

PERMISSION NOT GRANTED

Tlic removal of certain old ytopbank.s in the ilood channel of the Manawatu River between the Makerua and Moutoa districts was discussed at a meeting of the Makerua Drainage Hoard, yesterday, when Mr H. It. Farquhar (engineer) waited on the board to discuss the matter at the request of the Manawatu-Oroua River Board.

Mr Farquhar said that the banks were not now part of the banking system of the district. There were quite a number of the banks, and the Manawatu-Oroua Board was endeavouring to have them removed. It wished to come to some arrangement by which the banks, or some of them, could be lowered, so that the flood channel could bo made wider. Anything that could be done to relieve pressure by widening the waterway would be of benefit to the Makerua Board’s stopbanks at Coley’s bend. The chairman of the Makerua Board (Mr H. Seifert) said he did not think the board would be prepared to do that unless it were compensated. Mr Farquhar said the only compensation would be relief irotn erosion. What body could compensate the board? he asked. Trustee IV. Jackson asked whether there was any guarantee, if the banks were removed, that there would not be the same degree of erosion. Mr Farquhar said there would be some erosion, but not to the same extent.

“Wo do not want to lose any protection we have,” said Trustee J. D. Aitchison. “We have paid fairly dearly for it. Even if it is only small protection we must keep it.” Mr Farquhar reiterated that it was in the Makerua Board’s interest to open up the flood channel in view of the expenditure which had already taken place on. Coley’6 bend. If not, this expenditure would continue. After Mr Farquhar had withdrawn the board decided not to -grant the request, and it was left to the chairman and Trustee Aitchison and the clerk (Mr N. I. Nielsen) to obtain a legal opinion on the matter.