£320,000 Flood Damage To Homes In Waikato

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28530, 8 March 1958, Page 12

£320,000 Flood Damage To Homes In Waikato

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, March 7.

A labour force of 170 tradesmen is being concentrated by the Government to repair damage done to houses by the recent floods in the Waikato and the King Country.

Repairs to damaged houses in Otorohanga, Te Kuiti and Huntly are estimated to cost more than £320,000 and there are many families who will not be able to return to their homes until these repairs have been made. There are 200 damaged houses in Otorohanga, 100 in Te Kuiti and 40 in Huntly.

“For the next two or three months the labour force will be heavily committed in keeping up with the work that is necessary,” said the Acting-Prime Minister (Mr Skinner) tonight. “However, after consulting the Minister of Works (Mr Watt) I am confident the job can be carried through without causing any interference to the essential programme in the construction of State houses. Mr Skinner said some uncertainty had arisen as to how soon repairs could be made to houses and when insurance money would be available for the replacement of goods, clothing and bedding. The necessary money, he said, would be drawn from the Earthquake and War Damage Fund. Mr Skinner said the senior assessor for the Earthquake and War Damage Commission was now on a door-to-door canvass of

Otorohanga making on-the-spot assessments of damage which the commission would accept. It was expected he would complete this canvass in one 'week.

Possibly some property owners might choose to ask for monetary payments rather than have their houses repaired, but the commission took the view tirkt it had discretionary powers to repair property where it was felt that these repairs were needed. “Because of the high level reached by the flood waters, silt and mud penetration is a very serious problem in many Otorohanga houses,” said Mr Skinner. “It is advisable to remove interior linings at least to the level reached by the flood to enable the mud to be washed away. The commission will accept responsibility for temporary work on property insured under the Earthquake and War Damages Act. This work may, if neces-, sary, proceed before inspection is made by the commission’s assessors.

“The Government will push ahead with repair work as quickly as possible,” said Mr Skinner. “To alleviate immediate cases of distress, a grant has been made available to the district for administration by a local committee. This grant is in addition to onfe that is being controlled by the Red Cross.

“The State Advances Corporation was carrying out a detailed survey of State houses damaged by the flood. It would have all urgent work attended to as soon as possible.”