Board Against Building

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31769, 28 August 1968, Page 18

Board Against Building

The Christchurch Drainage Board will recommend to the Waimairi County Council that no building permits be issued in the area between Lower Styx Road and the Styx River unless sites are raised to a satisfactory level.

The board’s chief engineer (Mr P. J. McWilliam) reported last night that additional buildings in the area would increase the risk of health problems and create demands for the sewering of the area. He has recommended that additional ground-soakage effluent-disposal systems be prohibited. The board’s recommendation is in reply to a request from the Waimairi County Council for an authoritative statement on the need to restrict development in the Styx River catchment because of recent flooding and the risk of future flooding. Mr McWilliam said there were 33 houses on the river side of Lower Styx Road between Earlham Street and Harbour Road, which was the area mainly affected by recent floods. About 20 of the houses would have had water lying on their properties and about six would have had river water backed up round the houses. One or two would have had river water over their floors. On the east side of the road very few houses would have been affected. Mr McWilliam said building permits should not have been issued for some properties affected without either the sites or buildings being raised to a level at least above that of high spring tides. Little Effect He said the major portion of the catchment was still rural and any development in that area while it remained rural would have little effect on the Lower Styx problem. During the next 12 months an investigation would be made to determine among

other matters if a practical scheme of flood relief could be put in hand at an early date, but no indication could be given yet as to whether such a scheme would be carried out. He said there Should be no restriction on rural development as this would have no material effect on the position.

The increases would aggravate the flooding in the Lower Styx area but it was not possible to say by how much at present.

Mr McWilliam said there should be no restriction of development within the rural area of the catchment nor on development of existing sections or lots fronting dedicated roads within the urban areas of the catchment where adequate sewerage and storm outfalls could be attained.

Development involving the formation and dedication of roads within the catchment should not be permitted at least until the report on the investigation has been before the board.