RIVER EROSION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 September 1938, Page 4

RIVER EROSION

POSITION IN WAIRARAPA. REPORT BEING PREPARED. “When I visited Martinborough last Saturday,” remarked the Hon P. C. Webb, Minister of Mines, in his address at Featherston last night, “I saw thousands of acres of land inundated by flood waters. When I returned to Wellington,” he added, “I found that a survey had been made and estimates prepared for protection works along the Ruamahanga River. The estimated cost of the job was £200,000, but it was never put in hand. “Representations were recently made to the Minister of Public Works, the Hon R. Semple, for another survey and an estimate of the cost. That report will be ready in a few weeks’ time. Before you can effectively cope with erosion by the Ruamahanga River, however, you will have to be prepared to spend £lOO,OOO. The Government is prepared to co-operate with the local bodies and if there is a shortage of labour and money it will not be the fault of the Government.” It would cost upwards of £5 millions to protect lands from river erosion throughout New Zealand. It was not a question of paying too much, but of whether they could afford to allow rich farm lands to be eaten away. “I am convinced,” he added, “and experts bear me out, that the work should have been started years ago. One of the ■ major jobs of the Labour when it is returned to office will be to effectively tackle the problem of river erosion throughout the Dominion. The best and most modern machinery in the world will be used to speedily control the rivers that are doing so much harm.”