End to ornamental pond

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32879, 30 March 1972, Page 12

End to ornamental pond

The ornamental pond visualised by the designers of the Christ* church-Lyttelton Road Tunnel Authority’s administrative building in the Heathcote Valley almost 10 years ago will revert to its Bridle Path open creek role. The pond area under the building has been the subject of discussion between the authority, the Christchurch Drainage Board, the Heathcote County Council, the North Canterbury Catchment Board, valley residents, and engineers; but the end has come, at further cost to the authority. The extra cost, perhaps as much as $5OOO, for removing the fill from the tunnel put in the watercourse to form

the pond, was accepted by the authority yesterday, reluctantly but with an almost audible sign from the chairman (Mr V. G. Spiller) that the end was in sight. The board’s consultant engineer (Mr Bill Lovell-Smith) wrote that the exact requirements of the Drainage Board were now known, and it appeared that all the fill in the original creek had to be removed. Earlier, it had been thought that the outlet work done would satisfy the board. “I am surprised it has got to this stage, because we all thought we were doing what we were required,” Mr Spiller said. “It has been a sad story right from the start,”, Mr W. P. Glue said. “They tried to start an artificial lake in a desert.” He and some other members had reservations about the final requirements; but

they will be met. An architect’s pond has never been formed. A watercourse which flowed down the hills before the first Canterbury settlers arrived will be there again, with some man-made help.