RANGITAIKI DRAINAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 252, 23 October 1926, Page 15

RANGITAIKI DRAINAGE.

RIVER DIVERSION SCHEME.

TO COPE WITH EROSION.

EFFECT ON WHAKATANE HARBOUR

(From Our Own Correspondent.) WHAKATANE, Friday. The straightening of the Whakatane River is now a matter which is receiving great attention locally. About two and a-half miles and again three miles from the mouth, the river takes a sharp bend, the larger one forming what is known as the Kopeopeo Balloon bend. At its narrowest place it is only about fifteen chains across, the extent of the bend being about one and a-half to two miles round. Nearly half-way round this bend is situated the East Coast Co-op. Freezing Works, and between the two bends is the narrow concrete bridge which is Whakatane and Opotiki's only means of access to the western end of the county and bay. This bridge is seriously threatened by the erosion just south of it, which happens continually, and is greatly augmented at every flood. The freezing works buildings also are seriously threatened by this erosion. The county council has made several attempts to guard against damage at these points, but so far their work has been washed away by the next big flood. Besides the question of erosion, is the one of flooding of an extensive area of' splendid dairying and cropping land, constituting the thickly settled area of Poroporo. The settlers in that vicinity contend that the balloon bend at Kopeopeo particularly causes the river to back up during flood periods, especially when the tide is in, and overflow its banks, flooding this large area of good land. They contend that if the balloon bend is cut off, the river waters will get away much more rapidly, or will minimise at any rate the flooding of their lands.

In their original scheme, the Drainage Department intended putting this cut in, j and had it been done then (in 1910) ther< : is not much room for doubt, the drainage of the Rangitaiki swamp, as it then was, would have been greatly facilitated. Since that date* the bend has become part of the borough, a,nd has been cut up into smal! areas and residences erected thereon. The proposed out will therefore entail a fairly large expense in the way of compensation. -However, the Drainage Department decided that this work was outside their area, which only went up to the west bank of the Whakatane River as it existed at the time, and they contend, for that reason, the cut was never put in, and the whole of the drainage of the eastern portion of the drainage area was directed by means of two main drains, the Te Rahu and the Kopeopeo.cuts, into the Whakatane River at the extreme end of the balloon bend, with the result that when the Whakatane River is in flood the waters back up both these drains, thus making them ineffective until the flood waters recede.

Some time ago floodgates were put in at the mouth of the Kopeopeo drain, but the floods have several times washed these out, and the Department now intends diverting the Kopeopeo drain waters across native lands and into the Whakatane at its junction with the Orini Stream. This latter move will undoubtedly assist the lands adjacent to the Kopeopeo Cut, but there still remains the trouble with the Te Rahu The proposed diversion of the Whakatane River at Kopeopeo would undoubtedly ease this position. _ There is, however, besides the question of cost the unknown effect that this work will have on the Whakatane Harbour.

With a view to the ultimate possible execution of this work, a committee, composed of delegates from all the local bodies interested, has been set up and is endeavouring to gather data which will assist it to deride whether the said work will give the relief expected, what the effect of the work will be on the harbour, and if tho work seems desirable, to go into the question of the formation of a River Board to carry out the work. At the last meeting of the County Council, a deputation of native settlers from Poroporo, with Mr. L. Buddie as spokesman, waited on the council and pointed out the disabilities they were placed under during the recent Hood, and every time the Whakatane broke its bounds. They considered that the only remedy was the proposed diversion of the Whakatane River at Kopeopeo. and urged the council to support the natives' petition to the Xative Minister for relief, and that they urge that the work of river diversion be put in hand. The County Council passed the following resolution: "That the Council sympathises with the Poroporo natives and supports their petition for relief to the Native Minister, either by means of the Whakatane River diversion or in such manner. as may be recommended by responsible engineers." At the same meeting, in response to an appeal by the borough council, a committee was set up, consisting of Chairman W. Reid, and Councillors Pearson, Baird and Grieg, and the engineer, Mr. C. H. Brebner, to make an inspection, and endeavour to have the work of protection of the Whakatane bridge carried out during the summer.

The same committee was empowered to also inspect serious erosion that was taking place at Waimana.