FLOODING AT SOCKBURN

Press, Volume C, Issue 29588, 10 August 1961, Page 9

FLOODING AT SOCKBURN

Residents Ask For Help Drainage water from one side of the Sock bum overbridge, welling out of a pipe on the other side, has been flooding gardens and paths in Symes and Vickerys roads for some days. 1116 residents, after sending telegrams to the Ministry of Works and the member of Parliament for the district (Mr M. A. Connelly), and appealing for help to the Paparua County Council. sandbagged the fronts of their properties to divert the water. Yesterday, a wide stream was flowing down the side of the street into properties further down, eventually reaching the edge of the Wignam airfield. A day or two ago, while the water was lying several feet deep over a good part of back gardens in the area. Susan Kirkby, the elght-year-old daughter of one household. fell mto it up to her waist, and had to be rescued by a neighbour, Mrs W. de Thier. Yesterday, both were in bed awaiting the doctor when a reporter of "The Press” called. Mrs Kirkby and another neighbour, Mrs Scott, together with Mr Scott, who had had to be called home from work, were working to divert the stream, which had begun to rise again after a slight fall. Telegrams were sent to the Ministry and Mr Connelly yesterday morning jointly by Mrs Kirkby. Mrs Scott, Mrs de Thier, and Mrs G. W. Benham, appealing for a gang of men to be sent to protect their properties. Mr Connelly answered that he had made urgent representations to the Minister of Works (Mr Goosman). The Ministry passed on its telegram to its district office, and the district civil on- neer (Mr R. Lancaster) later made recommendations to the Minister. "Not County Matter” The Paparua county engineer (Mr A. Dyhrberg) sad yesterday that the matter was not one for the county, as ft paid rates for stofmwater drainage to the Christchurch Drainage Board. The board had recently taken an easement through properties in the area to build a stormwater drain as soon as finance was available. The difficulties had been caused in the main by a progressive build-up in the level of sections, blocking the natural course of the water. The overbridge could also be to some extent responsible, in that it presented a larger sealed area than had existed previously, giving a more immediate run-off. The water flowing down Symes road came from a new drain from Motorways corner, put in at the time the bridge was built The chief planning engineer to the Drainage Board (Mr E. F. Scott) confirmed that the board had just taken an easement for a new drain, but said this would be a long-term project which would not be set under way for several years. The plans were for a sft by sft concrete outfall. In a telegram received by Mrs Benham last evening, the Commissioner of Works (Mr F. M. H. Hansen) said he had arranged for a representative of the ministry to confer with the Drainage Board and the Paparua County Council