ARAPUNI CAM FOUNDATIONS.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 267, 20 December 1928, Page 4

ARAPUNI CAM FOUNDATIONS.

GEOLOGICALLY SOUND. Chief Engineer’s Statement. A statement on -the question of the Arapuni dam foundations made to the Christchurch correspondent of Board and Council by Mr. M. Chrystall, consulting engineer,- and published ;,in rthe issue of Nbvember 14, has been criticised by Mr. F. W. Furkert, engineer-in-chief ofthe Public Works Department. In the course of his statement Mr. Chrystall, who made a detailed investigation of the site at the time tendersfor the construction were called, said that as far as he had been able to ascertain no qualified geologist had made a detailed survey of the site. If such survey had been placed in the hands of the Geological Survey Department he believed it would have been problematical whether the Arapuni scheme would have been under--1 taken.

In reference to the statement Mr. Furkert points out that, contrary to Mr. Chrystall’s opinion, not only was the survey made by the Geological Survey Department, but that subsequent observations since the river was diverted had disclosed nothing that had not been anticipated. Mr. Furkert says : “ One passage refers to the Geological Survey Department and states that the technique of the officers of that department is second to none. Your readers may not be aware that a detailed geological survey of the site was made by the Geological Survey Department, and that Dr. Henderson, at that time a senior officer and now the Director of the Geological Survey, was one of the committee set up by the Government to investigate the question of whether the site should be adopted. He entirely approved, and later, when the river was diverted and the foundations excavated, he again visited the site and found that developments had turned out entirely as anticipated by him and the others connected with the investigations.”

Rumours of Inquiry. Whether or not there be any basis of fact to the statements that have been made as to the strength of the Arapuni dam foundations, the publicity that has been given the matter has been sufficient to raise a certain natural uneasiness in some quarters most likely to suffer the worst should a catastrophe occur. Discussion on the subject occupied the attention of the Hamilton Borough Council at its last meeting, as the result of which a resolution was passed urging on Parliament the necessity for “ an immediate and exhaustive public statement concerning various sensational reports regarding the stability of the rock formation at the Arapuni dam site.”

There may or may not be a basis of truth to a rumour that it is the intention of the new Government to set up a Royal Commission to inquire into matters relating to the Public Works Department, especially with regard to the Arapuni dam. More startling, but seemingly less credible, is a rumour that work on the Waitaki power scheme may be stopped. No doubt Canterbury would welcome withdrawal of Government opposition to the Waimakariri project, or an

amendment of the law making it possible for the city of Christchurch to carry out this scheme.