Proposed Conservation Scheme At East Oxford

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29330, 8 October 1960, Page 11

Proposed Conservation Scheme At East Oxford

A scheme for toil conservation and flood control in the East Oxford area is to be prepared by the staff of the North Canterbury Catchment Board for consideration by the board. Recommendations to a meeting of the board yesterday by the soil conservation and reserves committee were that the East Oxford catchment area should be the whole of the Cust catchment, that the staff be instructed to bring forward a co-ordinated scheme on the assumption that the peak run off will be reduced by 50 per cent, and that the staff be authorised to visit outside areas to inspect works. Mr J. M. Pickering said the scheme proposed had grown much beyond the original suggestion. Mr R. M. D. Johnson, the chairman. asked if the board wanted to discuss the proposed scheme in committee. Mr A. T. Bell said the board should not go into committee. The public were entitled to know that the board was trying to solve these conservation problems. Mr R. D. Dick, chief conservation officer, said the proposed

area was an ideal one to try out soil conservation and engineering work. There was hill country and swamp and flat. For years there had been a problem in Cust. “Where do we halt the proposed work in the lower reathes of the Cust?” he said. Mr H. E. Connor said they were perhaps getting away from the idea of a small catchment to a big catchment He wondered if the board was not running ahead of itself. Mr H. H. Petrie said that in past schemes engineering had come first and conservation by planting trees last, or .not at all. Some tree planting should be done to see if run-off could be reduced before engineering work was undertaken. Mr Johnson said that such a scheme could not be financed. Tree planting was part of a complete scheme. Mr D. R. Wilkie said he endorsed the recommendations. It was a relatively small catchment and similar works had been tackled successfully. "But we should put an initial end point to it. That should be the confluence of McJarrows drain and Deep Creek,” he said. Mr H. M. Reid, the board’s chief engineer, said that was a good suggestion. It would solve the East Oxford drainage problem. Mr Wilkie's suggestion was added to the recommendations and these were' adopted by the board. Lake Eleamere Opening The board decided to apply to the Soil Conservation Council to have August included as a summer month for the purpose of opening Lake Elesmere as this would help settlers in the area with stock feed problems. Sub-divisions The chief surveyor is to be asked to advise the board of any proposals for subdivisions of properties adjoining water courses. This is to that any requirements on access for clearing and enlarging watercourses can be dealt with. Mr A. T. Bell, chairman of the rivers control committee, said there was development in the Halswell area. The board had been presented with a subdivision plan involving more than 80 sections and a creek ran right through it. The question was whether the creek could take the water from what would be a considerable built-up area. The Survey Office is to be told what the board requires before the area could be satisfactorily subdivided. Selwyn Recorder The board accepted a tender of £1059 17s 6d for building a recorder in the Selwyn river at Whitecliffs. Mr D. A. Mackay, who is at present in Canada, is to be offered the position of assistant soil conservation officer to the board.