THE ESTUARY.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20028, 9 September 1930, Page 14

THE ESTUARY.

CONSERVANCY BOARD. SUPPORT PROM SUMNER. A vision of the estuarv transformed into a stretch of limpid water by the efforts of a Conservancy Board was suggested to the Sumner Borough Council last night by the Mayor (Mr W. H. Nicholson), when it was resolved to support Jho establishment of bucli a Board. . Opening the discussion, Cr. H. W. Harris said they had no official advice as to the Harbour Board's intentions, but he would move that the Town Clerk be authorised to call a conference of the local bodies concerned, and that the Council's delegate be instructed to support the establishment of a Conservancy Board. He had received a letter from.Mr H. S. Hobday, but he could not agree with his contention that action should be deferred till the next Harbour Board election in-order to have the question made a political one. There was no need to do that, and it was necessary to push on now. The estuary -was in a deplorable state, and would remain so until there was a Board set ut> to improve it. Mr Harris would not like it to be thought that ho favoured spending hundreds of thousands in making the estuary navigable but he wanted to see it made fit for boating. Possible Seaplane Base. The Mayor (Mr W. H. Nicholson) agreed that if the Harbour Board could not see its wav clear to' carry on with the improvement of the estuary—apparently this was so—it was better to hand the work over to a Board. A small rate would be struck in the districts concerned to cover the cost of the improvements, after which they should have a sheet of water second to none in the Dominion. Seaplanes were bound to come, and the estuary would make a good landing place for them if it were cleared out. The scheme had the sympathy of the Minister for Marine, but heunderstood there were no definite plans drawn up. Of course each cubic yard of mud taken out would be replaced by a yard of water, so it did not seem that there would be much effect on the level of water on the Sumner bar.. Cr. Harris's motion was agreed to.