Pumps set to start big flood mopping-up

Press, 11 June 1980, Page 1

Pumps set to start big flood mopping-up

PA Dunedin Pumps from throughout New Zealand will tomorrow start to help shift the huge quantity of floodwater on the Taieri Plain. The chief engineer of the Otago Catchment Board (Mr A. J. Gillies) said yesterday the pumps were expected to increase the rate of clearing the water by a total of 100,000 cusecs.

The pumps came from various parts of New Zealand, after a request on Monday to the Minister of Works and Development (Mr W. L. Young). Mr Gillies said the floodwaters had dropped slowly although they averaged a depth of about one metre over the area. At Momona there had been a drop of 2.5 cm.

The big break in the floodbank at Berwick had been deepened to allow a faster movement of water, and this would be left open for up to two days. Another break in the contour channel bank had been closed.

Mr Gillies said the board was quite happy with the resources available to help remove the water and assist in recovery work and with the co-operation being received.

Silver Peaks County had decided that evacuees’ homes would have to be free of floodwater, accessible by road, connected to sewerage services, and supplied with clean drinking water before they could be reoccupied. It would probably be Friday before the first homes could be resettled.

Most roads in Otago are open. State highway 87 through the Cromwell Gorge was opened for short periods on Monday and was expected to be open again from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. today. However, the chief service officer of the Otago Automobile Association (Mr W. L. Wilson) warned that single-lane traffic only would be allowed on the road and extreme care was needed. The situation would be reviewed again this morning and the road was ex-

pected to be opened for short periods during the day. State highway 87 from Mosgiel to Outram was still closed at the West Taieri bridge, at Outram, although Ministry of Works engineers expected that a temporary Bailey bridge across the 40m gap would be completed and open to traffic either today or Friday. The highway was still closed between Hyde and Kyeburn because of slips and washouts and there was no indication when this section would reopen. Mr Wilson said that other roads were almost back to normal but extreme care was still required by motorists travelling anywhere in the province.

Most bus services were back to normal except the service from Dunedin to Queenstown. Because of the closing of the Cromwell gorge the bus stops at Alexandra. Train services had been restored with the exception of the line south of

Dunedin. Freight was be= ing held at Balclutha and Dunedin until the flooded section of the line crossing the Taieri Plain was free of water and had been checked and repaired. The New Zealand Railways expected the line between Mosgiel and Balclutha to reopen on Friday. About 7300 tons of freight was being held at Balclutha for northern destinations and 5600 tons was waiting at Dunedin to go south. A further 230 tons was also at Dunedin destined. for Central Otago. The Railways was running passenger buses between Palmerston and Invercargill for passengers who would normally use the Southerner.

Some farmers have lost large numbers of sheep, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. The carcases were beginning to appear. About 400 were found near the Outram bridge and another 200 on the east side of state Highway 1. Farmers have been advised to apply to the Rural Bank for flood relief.