PROPOSED WHAU CANAL
WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED TWO POSSIBLE SCHEMES An interested spectator at the New Zealand Power-Boat Association's speed-boat races last Saturday \\ as Mr. David B. Russell, a civil engineer, who for 12 years has been formulating: a scheme to utilise the Whau River as a canal to link the waitemata and Manukau Harbours. Now that the regatta course has been proved he intends placing: before the public two schemes with working plans and details of the anticipated recent! '. One project provides for the consctruetion of a canal having a draft of 10 feet, and the other of 20 feet-_ The schemes are estimated to cost £500,000 and £750,000 respectively. Mr. Russell stated that he had recently completed details of a plan for the employment of 300 to 500 men from one to three years. He proposes to impound the Whau River at Pollens Point by means of a stop-bank with dummy lock gates and a spillway for the passage of small craft. Spoil for this work is to be secured from the Avondale Reserve at the foot of Rosebank Road, at the same time converting this area into a recreation park. Earth for construction of the bank is also available on the Te Atatu side of the river. This stop-bank could be used as a roadway connecting Te Atatu to Rosebank Road. Such a road would shorten the distance to Auckland from Te Atatu by seven miles.
Impounding the water as proposed will give a regatta course at all stages of the tide. Further, Avondale will have a fine recreation ground and a large swimming pool. Mr. Russell expects that these will rapidly pay for themselves from revenues collected from sportsmen. The estimated annual expenditure, including wages, material and machinery, will not exceed £BO,OOO. It is hoped to interest the Government in the scheme with the view to an advance and as a means for relteveing unemployment. Subsequently the proposed canal company could refund such advances or the Government take over the capital in the form of debentures.
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Bibliographic details
Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 285, 22 February 1928, Page 1
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339PROPOSED WHAU CANAL Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 285, 22 February 1928, Page 1
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