FUTURE CONTROL OF ESTUARY

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27371, 9 June 1954, Page 9

FUTURE CONTROL OF ESTUARY

Conference To Be Called

A conference of all interested local authorities to decide on the most suitable body to assume control over the Estuary will be called by the City Council. The council made the decision last evening “in view of the present uncertain and unsatisfactory control of the -Estuary.” The advisory committee on civic beautification had asked the council to consider the calling together of local bodies interested in the Estuary with a view to dredging to form a marine playground for the city, and at the same time reclaiming low land which would be valuable in the years to come. Mr J. G. Power forwarded a resolution of associations asking the council to invite a representative of the Westminster Dredging Company to visit Christchurch.

Cr. J. E. Tait said the only local body v/Lich could handle the Estuary was the City Council. It was not a job that could be done immediately, but plans could be prepared immediately. The council should go to the conference and show that it was prepared to shoulder the burden. “There is no need to hold a conference, as the other local bodies will hand it over to you on a plate,” said Cr. W. P. Glue. The Harbour Board had no intention or right to do any work on the Estuary, and the Drainage Board was interested in it only as a means of drainage. There would be no arguments as to which body should have control.

“This is a matter upon which the City Council would be well advised to proceed with considerable caution,” said Cr. T. H. McCombs. The prolific growth of sea lettuce in the Estuary indicated major pollution by nitrogeneous waste. The proposal was that the council should take over the Estuary and remove the pollution. By the cheapest method, the cost of dredging the Estuary to a depth of six feet would be about £250,000.

Cr. L. G. Amos: And then some. Some said that some of the cost would be recouped by reclaiming land, said Cr. McCombs, but some of the land near the Estuary, requiring only a foot of filling, was not wanted today. Christchurch was different from other cities in that it had plenty of flat land. Nothing would grow on the clay.

“It would be very nice to have a sea water lake close to us, but we have one in Lyttelton harbour, only six miles and a half away,” said Cr. McCombs. “Something needs to be done with the Estuary to get round some of these difficulties; but the city should think twice, before taking into its lap a baby that may cost ultimately £250,000 or more.” Cr. J. E. Jones said it was quite evident that neither the Drainage nor Harbour Boards really wanted the job of Estuary control. If the council undertook the work, it would be done years ahead of the time the other bodies would take. The Mayor (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.) said the City Council could not spend £1,000,000 on a Westminster dredge. The cost would have to be shared by other local bodies, which could use the dredge. The council would want to know what it was going to do with the Estuary if it reclaimed it. The conference should not be held until such time as the Minister of Marine replied to the Harbour Board.

“There are other things much more urgent on which to spend the money,” ’Tr McCombs.