FLOOD WATERS OFF HILLS

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24750, 15 December 1945, Page 6

FLOOD WATERS OFF HILLS

* DRAINAGE CONTROL EXTENSION

SUPPORT BY HEATHCOTE COUNCIL

The control of eight valleys of the Port Hills from the banks of the Heathcote river to the summit by the Christchurch Drainage Board is being investigated and is lavoured by the Heathcote County Council. A report on discussions between the county council, the Drainage Board, and the North Canterbury Catchment Board was given to last evening’s meeting of the council by the chairman (Cr. F. W. Freeman)., The extension of the Drainage Board’s areas so as to control the rain falls in the gullies and on the hills was proposed to cover 15.000 acres, said Cr. Freeman. Heavy rainfall in any two of the eight valleys wouK block the Heathcote river. It was anomalous, to his mind, that the Drainage Board’s district should end cn one side of the river. The Heathcote County Council had neither the equipment nor the expert staff to deal with serious flooding and to replace small bridges, A decision had been made at-.a con ftrence that the Drainage Board's, engineers and the council’s officers should draw up plans, which would show how the various ridings would be affected by the extension of the Drainage Board’s district, said Cr. Freeman. If the area was extended districts wanting sewerage would be included automatically. The Catchment Board, he said, had a blanket authority and had control of diainage and flooding from the outlet to the sea. The county paid the Catchment Board a levy of up to id in the £, and the chairman of the Catchment Board (Mr W. Machin) ccnsidered that the vesting of control of the county area should rest until the City Council and the Drainage Board threshed out their difficulties of ultimate control. The Drainage Board was threatened with having its wings clipped, and the Catchment Board at present was without equipment to deal with the problems in the Heathcote County. Post-Graduate Course for Nurses Nurses who served in the armed forces may receive rehabilitation assistance to undertake a post-graduate course which will be conducted by the Health Department in conjunction with Victoria University College, slates the Rehabilitation Department. The course will commence on February 27 and finish on September 27. The normal age limit for entry is 35. with an. extension to 40 for selected students; but the limit will not be enforced in Ihe case of former servicewomen applicants. The curriculum will cover hospital and nursing school administration, public health nursing, medical social work, and industrial nursing. Three weeks will be spent in observing hospitals and health work in various parts of the Dominion.