CONSERVATION OF WATER

Shannon News, 22 March 1927, Page 4

CONSERVATION OF WATER

VALUE -OF BUSH-CLAD HILLS. OTAKI RIVER SUGGESTED AS FEEDER TO MANGAHAO. The broad question as to the need for the Government to conserve more catch-. ment areas for.water power was opened up by Mr..C. Kilsby aF the meeting of the Horowhenua Electric Power Hoard on Tuesday. He referred parti-, .'.ularly to the Otaki Gorge and men-, .ioned the possibility of,farther bush-, L-lLng being carried out there. All the. .irge Power Boards, he considered, night to approach the Government to mve that locality reserved as a catchment area. It consisted of about 10,000, : \cres,.-on which the bush would be idled, thus decreasing the rainfall on :hc hills. The Otaki and Mangahao rivers fell in opposite directions, but a good deal of the Otaki; could be diverted into the Mangahao. by means of a tunnel.

Mr. W. H. Gunning said there was a temptation to fell the bush now that timber was scarce and this was the-i most valuable crop that the land would, ever carry. No doubt the property, could bo bought very cheaply. The ranges wjere ; losing the rainfall to a very great extent, and the felling of he bush was of very doubtful benefit to the country. The chairman said that,,as far as he knew, there was no land that could, be taken; for the purpose mentioned except what was already Government land. There was a section running u p the Waitatapia, but it did not affect the water much. . Mr. Kilsby stated that .the area he was referring to was Taungatatere. The chairman: The Otaki river goes straight back to \M mountain and goes to the left oelund it. Whor? ihe nver turns in, the laa-I is Government land Mr. Kilsby; There is -some freehold ( land there. ' The chairman: It may affect the rainfall on the ranges. The Government should acquire ■ the whole of the Otaki Gorge, but there is so much, private capital invested there ito-day-that it is doubtful whether any Government would look at it.. The harm is done. , Mr."Kilsby: AH that strip of bush there will help the rainfall i The chairman: It is a question ot some moment. Would you suggest communicating with the other Board*, in the area, or writing direct to the Forestry Department, on this particular portion? Mr. Kilsby: I should move that the whole of the Boards that-are getting power from Mangahao shouW communi; The chairman: It would be a job to move them, because they don'-t_un-fche local iconditions. .You* might do better by approaching tlie Government through your member. Dannevirke, Wanganui and Napier know so little of the local, conditions that, though they might give it support, it would not be the support that would get the thing done. , The chairman added that he would interview Mr. Field, M.P., on the subject, as that gentleman was a supporter of the movement for preserving the bush.