DAMAGE TO STOCK RACE

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23799, 19 November 1942, Page 6

DAMAGE TO STOCK RACE

ft CONCERN EXPRESSED BY COUNTY CHAIRMAN Members of the Ashburton County Council had a tremendous responsibility because they supported the irrigation proposal at the time when it was suggested, but now the council must face the fact that turning on thh water in the channel through running shingle might prove to be a major disaster for Mid-Canterbury, said the chairman of the Ashburton County Council (Mr S. P. Taylor), when a special meeting was held yesterday at the site where damage had been done to the Klondyke main race by seepage. The danger to the county was great, and many responsible citizens were becoming alarmed, said Mr Taylor. He added that until recently supplies of water through the race to about 30,000 acres of land at Ruapuna had been satisfactory, but floods at the end of October washed away the site of the pumping station and the temporary intake of the Klondyke main water race. Since then supplies of water in the stock race had ceased, and the lack of water was causing serious trouble to stock and very considerable financial loss to farmers, who seemed to have a just case for compensation. Work in restoring the water was proceeding, and it was for the council to state if it was satisfied with the position, said Mr Taylor. The pumps were out of action, the intake was subject to damage by every rise in the river, and it seemed doubtful if any reliance for adequate and essential supplies could be placed on the present source. Everything possible to see that a satisfactory supply of water was restored should be done in the interests of a large and important district. Nothing should be left to chance, he said. A further statement by Mr Taylor on his views about the irrigation channel was taken in committee. Members considered that the council should first concentrate on receiving an adequate and continuous supply of water for the Klondyke main race before considering the national aspect of the scheme. Mr Taylor; The position, as I saw it last week, was not just seepage; it was a complete breakaway of the understructure of the irrigation channel, and I 'was concerned about what would have happened if the channel had been full. Mr J. Moore said the interruption in the stock water supply during recent floods demonstrated that the assurances given to the council, about the maintenance of a supply of water, were not being kept. There seemed to be no concentration on the job. Mr J. Bland said the Canterbury Public Works Engineer (Mr F. D. Grant) had given his assurance that the supply would be kept up. but he had not done very much in the last two weeks. “Can we take legal action?” Mr Bland asked. Mr G. Kelly (County Clerk); I don t think we can. It was decided that the council press for the utmost effort on the part of the Department of Public Works to keep up the supply of stock water, and to install the electric pumping plant which had been damaged in the recent floods at the earliest possible moment. ____________