SELWYN RIVER SCHEME

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25206, 10 June 1947, Page 5

SELWYN RIVER SCHEME

CATCHMENT BOARD TO MEET RATEPAYERS £34,000 WORK AFFECTING FOUR COUNTIES The £34,000 work of clearing the lower reaches of the Selwyn river, protecting against floods more than 27,00 u acres in the Ellesmere, Springs, and Selwyn counties will be begun almost immediately if the North Canterbury Catchment Board’s proposals are favourably received at meeting of ratepayers at Irwell this evening. The Malvern county is also concerned, needing protection from erosion along tne upper Selwyn. So far, no objections to the scheme have reached the board. Of eignt persons who, till recently, had inspected the proposed rating classincation, only one definitely stated his intention to object. This evening, at Irwell, the chairman of the board (Mr W. Machin),' the chief engineer (Mr H. W. Harris), and other board members will explain the rating proposals and the details of the scheme, in the hope that the number o± objections, if any, will be sufficiently small to warrant the commencement of the scheme this year, a considerable number of objections might make it necessary to alter the rating, which would make it impossible to go on with the scheme this year.

Clearing big willows from the lower reaches of the river’s bed, and thu clearing of an adequate channel from just above the Main South road to the mouth of the river are the principal tasks before the board. One or two small cuts will have to be made.

The sum to be found by rating is about £B5OO, the total of £34,000 being made up by a £3 to £1 subsidy. The rate classification allows for five classes, according to the benefit received. The rates are as follows, with the amount, £lOOO, given in parenthesis:—class A. 0.68 d (£2 16s 8d); class C, 0.544 d (£2 5s 4d); class D, 0.408 d (£1 14s); class E, 0.272 d (£1 2s 8d); class F, 0.136 d (£1 5s 4d) This will produce £1125 a year over eight years for the necessary construction work. Over the first four years the rates will produce £4500; the balance of £4175 will have to be borrowed from the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council at 3$ per cent, interest, repayable by annual instalments qf £1137 over the next four years.

In addition to the rate for construction. maintenance charges estimated at £BOO a year would have to be met by rating until national funds are used to subsidise the maintenance of river control works. The maintenance rates for the Selwyn would be as follows:—class A, 0.5 d (£2 Is 8d a £1000). class C, 0.4 d (£1 18s 4d); class D, 0.3 d (£1 ss); class E 0.2 d (16s 8d); class F, O.ld (8s 4d). It is hoped to put the rating proposals before the counties early next month, so that they may be able to strike a rate this year. The actual work on the scheme would then begin almost immediately.