NELSON MUDFLATS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28801, 23 January 1959, Page 3

NELSON MUDFLATS

Possible Use For Farming

“The Press*’ Special Service NELSON, January 22. Seven thousand acres of Waimea estuary mudflats may become farmlands. Two world-famous Dutch engineers have arrived to examine the area. They are Messrs. F. Binkhorst and G. C. Van Der Blink, both engineers, from the Netherlands Consulting Bureau of Engineering Projects Abroad, better known as Nedeco. Mr Binkhorst, a 54-year-old civil engineer, and Mr Van Der Blink, aged 46, an agricultural engineer, will remain in Nelson for about five weeks to examine the feasability of the Waimea project and prepare sketch plans from which a possible cost may be estimated. Both men are world experts on the reclamation of tidal estuaries. weeks’ time, they will be joined in Nelson by two managing directors of Nedeco. These will be Messrs P. Westbrook and J. M. J. Hi-iraets, who are visiting Nedeco projects in India, Pakistan and Vietnam. The Dutch engineers were welcomed by Mr F. J. Lock, president of the Nelson Provincial Progress League. Mr Lock said the scheme might cost £3m, but in 10 years’ time it could be producing £lm worth of farm produce annually from perhaps one- hundred •60-acre farm.