Cam River works finance discussed

Press, 2 April 1980, Page 10

Cam River works finance discussed

The question of finance for proposed works on the Cam River has been discussed by the rivers control and drainage committee of the North Canterbury Catchment Board. The proposals for the Cam River included the strengthening of river banks, the construction of stopbanks and a drainage culvert, the widening of the river channel, and the removal of willow trees. Discussions by the.committee with local farmers, the Rangiora Borough Council, and Rangiora District Council were halted in December when the . board decided to investigate the question of a Government subsidy for. the scheme. The subsidy for the Cam River scheme was discussed with the Water and Soil Division’s manager of catchment and coastal works (Mr A. J. Warringlion) when he visited Canterbury recently. Mr Warrington had favoured the proposal for a

2:1 subsidy for the Cam River works , if and when they were carried out, said the board’s deputy chief engineer (Mr B. P. Dwyer). The committee’s chairman (Mr M. J. O. Dixon) said the most important aspect for the board now to resolve was the financial share it might accept for the Cam River work. The classification of the Waimakariri, Eyre, and Cust areas as one rating district had been approved in 1956, but this classification did not include the whole of the Cam River catchment, he said. Three proposals for financing the works were presented to the committee. The committee favoured a proposal that part of the local share should be provided by the board from the Waimakariri, Eyre, Cust rating district, and the remainder provided by territorial authorities. “This should not have any extraordinary effect

on the rating district,’’ Mr Dixon said. The board assumed responsibility for maintenance- and works downstream of Bramleys Bridge and the district council assumed responsibility upstream of that bridge. At meetings held so far, the board, the Rangiora District Council, and the Rangiora Borough Council had all accepted that they should each share in the cost of improvements in the Cam River, said Mr Dixon. The important question in regard to local contribution was the cost of the works above Bramley Bridge, which amounted to 60 per cent of the total estimated costs. That would be about $170,000 plus the unknown cost of the diversion west of the urban area. The committee agreed to seek the rating classifier’s comments on proposad financing before arriving at a definite recommendation to the board next month.