Flood relief

Press, 24 October 1978, Page 16

Flood relief

Sir, — Last February farmers from end to end of the Chaslands coast were busy burning off large tracts of the remaining native bush because rumour had it the Government was about to pass restraining legislation. What do people expect whenheavy rains fall on to a denuded and barren catchment but swift run-off, devastating floods and dreadful destruction? Meanwhile plans are being made to fell the beech forests of the Maruia and West Coast regions in the name of economic development and regional planning. When this is done and grievous floods occur no doubt people will

complain that they have never experienced the like before. If some reasonable fraction of the money which is to be spent in the relief and rehabilitation of Otago and Southland were spent on the planting of protection forests in the upper catchment and headwaters of the great rivers, the resultant delay in the rise time of flood waters would provide adequate warning and considerable alleviation of peak pressures on existing stopbanks. — Yours, etc., P. A. G. HOWELL. October 20, 1978.