SELWYN RIVER FLOODS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28888, 7 May 1959, Page 7

SELWYN RIVER FLOODS

Warnings Claimed Inadequate

The matter of warnings of floods in the Selwyn river came before the Ellesmere County Council, at its monthly meeting, when a letter was received from the Ellesmere branch of Federated Farmers, which askea the council to take the matter up with the North Canterbury Catchment Board. It seemed quite clear, the letter said, that in the case of the recent flood, many riverside farmers had received no warning at all, while the warning to others had been inadequate in that it had not enabled them to form any idea as to the magnitude of the flood.

It was hoped, the letter continued, that the council would approach the Catchment Board with a view to securing some improvement to the present system of warning. Three suggestions were offered as likely to give farmers a good idea n" what to anticipate. (1) The rainfall in the catchment area up to the time of warning; (2) the reading on the depth gauge at the Coalgate bridge; (3) installation of a gauge at the Main South road bridge so that similar information could also be obtained from that point.

The council decided to send a copy of the letter to the Catchment Board and to ask that the list of farmers to be warned should be brought up to date. From the permanent residents at the Rakaia Huts was received a petition asking for street light- • ing. A sub-committee was appointed to investigate and report to the next meeting of the council.

Grants were made to the St. John Ambulance Association and to the Royal Humane Society. The Canterbury Public Relations Officer (Mr E. G. Beckett) addressed the council on the work of his office and its achievements since the office was established. The council makes an annual grant to the office of £lO.

Engineer’s Report

The engineer (Mr P. Macfarlane) reported that 43 roads in the Irwell riding, 57 in Leeston riding and 67 in Southbridge riding had received grader attention during the month. The work of constructing a new concrete bridge over Doyleston draia at Tramway road had been completed and opened to traffic last week, while a culvert in Drain road had been extended for eight feet and a new parapet formed. The supply of water to the county water race system from all headworks had been good, said the water race supervisor (Mr A. T. Stevenson). The races weie almost back to their winter flow. A few interruptions had been caused by the filling of duck ponds for the shooting season, but this trouble was not nearly as bad as was formerly the case.