LAKE FORSYTH OUTLET.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LVI, Issue 5991, 3 May 1935, Page 4

LAKE FORSYTH OUTLET.

DEPUTATION MEETS MINISTER.

The long-standing questions of providing an outliet toi the sea for 1 Lake 'Forsyth to prehrenti flooding' df surrounding land! and the main road, and aiiso to reliteve the present ,isolated position of settlers on the Kinlocb Estate, was brought to the notice o.f the 'Minister of Education and Employment (.the Hon. S. G. Smith) by a deputation representing the Wairdwa 'County Council and Kintoch and Little River stettlers, who met hiim, oni his way to Aikaroa on Tuesday.

IMr J. O. Coop, chairman of the 'Waiireiwai County Council, headed the' l deputation, which, was arranged! by' (Messrs ,W. iW. Sicarff and' A. Pevereli, j of the Cfrri's'tichu.rchi Citizens' Unemployment 'Committfcfe. The Minister drove to the beach 'near .the proposed! outlet,, where memibfens of the deputation (pointed) o-ut the site of the suggested l , .oairuali and! tunn'eli to the sea, 'The spokesman for the delegar tioni (Mr 'F. Coop) saM that it was proposed! .to. cut a canals from the laike ibehind 1 the- shiwgle bank near the road to tbe 1 Kin loch .Estate until it sttruok rock, and thien derive a tunnel 400 or 600 1 yards through a cliff to the sea. The cost was estimated at ©15,000. The Wai'rewa County Council had! a credit in the lake account of >£2000, and 1 at was suggested that the IMaiini iHiighlwaysi Board 1 should be .aislked' to provide' a subsidy of £i2OOO. The OPubl'iic Works Department had teeni asked toi raise the level of the a-oad -at a cost of M'l7o0 1 to prevent flo'cdinig, ibut it was considered the amount couldl better, fee devoted towards the permanent drainage of the ilake. •

It was also proposed that the'Wadxieiwa County Council; should be allowed to barrow 'MOO© and 1 that the Govennimeinlt .shouMl providi© a £1 for ©1 sdbsidiy.

Mr. Cocp saidi tihat the scheme would! xecHaiimi 5001 acres of land, 300 o'f which would be immediately atvailn able for settlement, would give Kinsloch settlers a permanent outlet, siave 'Little River from flooding and also prevent valuable land owned privately and by the Canterbury College Council) from being flooded for three month® of tdis year. Also the road to. b'e formed would 'be,come a valuable tourist asset in the future, as motorists would be able to drive 1 right through to Wai'mii. •

The Minister said, the matter was primarily one for his colleague, tthe Minister of Public W.onks. Hois' interest was. only in thie work which might be provided! fotr unemployed •men. The scheme would have to bet undertaken on ,a standard wage basis, (but it would have to be escertained jhow far the' Unemployment Board's funds could be usedi

"When I go to WelMngton, I will be glad) to discuss the matter with the Minister, of Public Works," sadd Mr ISmitb, "and if the proposals aire ipuit in concrete form, it will' heltp when tbe scheme is under considera*tioai. 1 am , gure that when the ■sicheme comes 'before the Unemployment 'Board it iwilMl be dealt" with symp athet toally

The Minister added) that he was not sure if the job was one for machinery or unemployed! labour. The question wias .as to whether it would be safer' to usfei machines ox labour in dHMng the tunnel.