Board Withdraws Bridge Approval

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30230, 7 September 1963, Page 13

Board Withdraws Bridge Approval

The North Canterbury Catchment Board yesterday retracted its earlier approval of the 1360 ft Waimakariri motorway bridge proposed by the Ministry of Works. The board decided that opinions and recommendations would be sought from the Soil Conservation Council, the National Roads Board and the Ministry of Works before the Catchment Board again considered the bridge.

Public meetings might then be organised to give ratepayer* an opportunity to discuss the bridge before foe board made a decision. At its August meeting foe board approved, by nine votes to six, foe plan subm.tted by foe Mimsiry of Works. Mr E. J. Stalker gave notice of a motion to rescind this approval and at yes'erdoy’s meeting foe board passed fos motion with only one diaserzer.

"The obviously premature pass ng of foe motion at foe August meeting showed foe board had been wasting its time.' said Mr W. R. Holmes. Unlike other speakers who argued the bridge was not long enough to cope wi fi potonftial floods. he supported the motion rescinding approval for procedural reasons. said Mr Holmes.

The decision at foe les* meeting had not been well f. un-ied end foe motion snruld never have been put. The board decided it would make a direct approach to the Soil Conservation Council. which would be told that no decision had been reached and some members of foe b •ard felt foe bridge was too short. Invitations to comment would be extended through the Minris'ry of Works to the Najonal Roads Bernd.

Mr J M. Pickering, supporting the motion to rescind the approval of the bridge, r id foe board had comple e f- h m its engineering adviser. River control exper s from several pecs of foe world, however, had sa-ld foe Wo.makariri river was one of foe world's most difficult shingle rivers. More research was needed.

Seconding Mr Stalker’s motion, Mr C. S. Ayers said he thought foe bridge should be extended two chans either end. The river would be a problem for a long tone and the most certain measures were beet.

To give fee public an ins ght in o foe problem and she measures to be taken, a comprehensive report of the scoeme will be prepared for the newspapers.

A hydrologist is to be •ought by the board. About £lOOO annually will be offered for a young science graduate who will be primarily engaged as a hydrologist but who will extend his work as the board requires. Deputation “We are most concerned ebout the safety of the people and the preserving of land on both sides of the river,” said Mr T. Mundy on behalf of a deputation from the Waima'ri branch of Federated Farmers, which waited on the board. “If the board can see fit to help by seeing that the proposed new bridge across the Waimakariri river is as long as it is possible to make it you will be helping the whole community in general” he said.

Mr Mundy »aid a petition had been signed by 66 members of the Waimairi branch of Federated Farmers in relation to the length of the new bridge. The farming community and the public generally should get the maximum safety. Mr F. L. Wright, a member of the catchment board presented a petition signed by 1130 persons in the area likely to be affected by flooding of the river. Both petitions protested against the new bridge being 1360 feet and asked for a longer bridge for the safety of the district. The chairman of the board. Mr R. M. D. Johnson, read a letter from the Eyre County Council asking that the board and council discuss the question of the new bridge. Mr D. B. Dallas, District Commissioner of Works and a member of the board, said that perhaps the whole scheme should be explained to a meeting of residents in the area. The scheme was to control 167.000 cusecs in the river. Structures mu# be adequate to control that flow and also be adequate for safety. Many of us would

not feel justified in supporting any feature of the scheme not designed to pass that flood with an adequate margin of safety," he said. “We should talk to settlers, explain the scheme and then proceed to a decision on bridges.”

Mr Dallas said he was giving a personal opinion as a member of the board and not on behalf of his department. He thought foe board was a little ahead of itself in taking a determined stand on the length of the bridge Dr. G. Jobbems moved that the deputation be thanked and be assured the matter would have the fullest consideration of foe board.

This was seconded by Mr H. E. Connor and carried.