DRAINAGE WORK

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 141, 27 March 1948, Page 6

DRAINAGE WORK

ASHBURTON-HINDS REQUEST f Twenty six ratepayers in the Ashburton-Hinds drainage area, in a petition to Thursday’s meeting of the South Canterbury Catchment Board at Timaru, asked that a meeting should be held in the centre of the drainage area to discuss the . proposed maintenance rate, the work and cost of the draglines, and proposed future works. Mr R. D. Robinson 5 favoured the holding of a public meeting at an early date, saying that since the chief engineer (Mr W. F. Lucy) had reported to the board on the estimated cost of maintenance of the scheme (about 2-3 d in the £ without a Government subsidy) a great deal of concern had been. felt. The cleaning, of drains would be a tremendous proposition, said Mr Robinson, with travelling time having to be paid over long distances to and from operations as required by the law. “Many feel that farmers could clean the drains themselves under the strict supervision of the catchment board.” he said. On Mr Robinson’s recommendation the board resolved to meet ratepayers, the petitioners prior to this meeting to furnish the board with specific details of their requirements. It was also decided that the board should explore more modern methods of drain cleaning. Because, of criticisms of the manner in which Ihe recently-initiated Hinds River cleaning works were being carried out il was, decided that the chief engineer (Mr W. E. Lucy) should confer with local members of the board on the scene.

Mr Lucy reported having instructed the divisional engineer to remove trees in the middle of the bed awaiting burning. These were a flood danger, be said. The cause of the 1 rouble was in the board’s own bands, considered Mr J. O. Riddell. It had boon asked lo push on with the scheme rather ton rapidly and had to adopt an expedient to get rid of green willow trunks. He believed it would he far betler if the board carried out a systematic programme as originally intended of poisoning "the irees and pulling them out, when properly killed.