Beautification Cost Put At £252,000

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31224, 23 November 1966, Page 22

Beautification Cost Put At £252,000

To improve Sumner’s floodrelief drain to make it a thing of beauty would cost about £252,000, plus the cost of land for pedestrian access to the banks, said the chief engineer (Mr P. J. McWilliam) in a report to the Christchurch Drainage Board last night. The waterway would have to be between 50ft and 70ft wide, and would occupy a large part of the properties on each side, he said. The houses on 31 properties would have to be demolished, and 12 other properties would be affected. Nine road and four access bridges would be needed. Since flow was small for the greater part of the year, a small channel would be needed to stop an undesirable meandering stream. The cost was nearly twice that of other flood-relief proposals. Mr McWilliam was reporting on additional proposals for Sumner flood relief. He said larger piped outfalls from Heberden avenue would speed drainage from Scarborough but would not prevent flooding from the backing-up of the main drain. The bene-

fit would be limited without increasing the capacity of the main drain.

His proposal was held over for further consideration.

Complaint—The Spreydon Ratepayers and Residents’ Association claimed® that an open creek flowing past Greenpark street properties was a danger to children and health, said the works committee. There was no health hazard, said Mr McWilliam. Residents could improve the stream banks, and the mud bottom could be replaced by stones at a cost of about £3OO. The board agreed to meet the association, if necessary. Connexions.— The board confirmed decisions of the chairman (Mr F. R. Price) on varying conditions that would be applied for sewer connexions to Rockinghorse road properties. South Brighton.

Aranui Smells.—Permission was given fqr the Aranui Air Pollution Research Committee to place smell-detector boxes on the board’s property, and the use of a board vehicle by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Department was authorised. Halswell Work.—The board agreed to accept supervision of mains, laterals and pumping stations if the Halswell county sewerage scheme, to be connected to the city system, proceeds on the intended basis. Industrial Area.—Provision should be made for the construction of sewers towards the end of 1969 in the Staunton street-Chapmans road industrial area at Hillsborough, it was decided.