CLYDE RIVER THREAT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 62, 22 December 1945, Page 4

CLYDE RIVER THREAT

ACCESS TO EREWHON STATION PROTECTION MEASURES In an endeavour to keep the road to Erewhon Station open, the Ashburton County Council will send its angledozer to counter erosion by the Clyde River.

This was decided by the Council yesterday after receipt of a letter on the subject from the South Canterbury Catchment Board. The County engineer (Mr R. L. Lindsay) supplementing the letter, said that rates from the Mount Potts Station totalled £3B Is 6d, including Catchment and Hospital Board rates of about. £l3; and rates from Erewhon were £2B 16s, including about £lO Hospital and Catchment Board rates. A stop-bank, about 60 chains long would be needed, but in the meantime there was practically no access to Erewhon. . The river was eating the road away in two places,, and in others the surface had become very soft. There would be a lot of wool to come out of that region. Only temporary work, which might cost over £IOO, could be done until a groyne was erected. The County clerk (Mr G. Kelly): “The Council gets about £43 altogether from these properties and there are many miles of roads serving them.’’ ‘ “It is the same story as in the Rakaia Gorge—the Government collects the rents, but we pay the costs.” said Mr J. Carr. It was agreed on the suggestion of Mr Kelly to ask the Lands- and Survey Department to contribute toward the cost of the proposed work. Four - high-country farmers wrote exuressing appreciation of the work done by the Council on the Double Hill Runs Road.

Housing Suggestion

A committee comprising the chairman and Messrs Mackenzie, Morgan, Gallagher and Carr was set up to deal with a housing proposal in connection with army huts from the vacant military camp at Westerfield. A committee which had previousl} r considered the matter reported that the estimated cost of converting the huts to four-roomed dwellings (including transport) wasl £650 each. The officers of the Council were instructed to ascertain from the War ' Assets Realisation Board. In view of the fact that the test bores sunk in connection with. the* original Ashburton-Hinds drainage scheme would be of no value in the scheme planned by the South Canterbury Catchment Board, no allowance for these would be made in the payment to the Council, states a letter from the Board.

A grant wasi made toward the construction of tennis courtsi at Mount Somers. Following receipt from from Mrs Curtis of a report on activities at the Patriotic Wool Depot, the Council resolved to send a letter to Mrs Curtis, expressing appreciation of her services and of those who assisted her.