Cromwell people "absolutely thrilled’

Press, 14 July 1982, Page 1

Cromwell people "absolutely thrilled’

PA Wellington The people of Cromwell were "absolutely thrilled” by the news that the high dam at Clyde was on again, said the head of the Cromwell women’s action group. Mrs Nancy Murdoch, yesterday. “It is a great weight off our shoulders. It is just fantastic." she told the NZPA on hearing that the Government had accepted Social Credit proposals to solve the dam impasse. Although the workers and their families had not given up they had thought they had come near to the “end of the line," Mrs Murdoch said. She praised Social Credit for its part in resolving the problem, and criticised- the Labour Party. “We were very disappointed with the Labour Party. The feeling was that Mr Rowling’s proposals had been rubbished before he left,” she said.

The Mayor of Cromwell, Mr Peter Mead, said there was a “great feeling of relief in the town” and a restoration of some faith in politicians.

Mr Mead said he hoped the agreement between the Government and Social Credit would give a clearer definition of what irrigation .was intended. Everyone hoped the irrigation would lead to a big horticultural industry. The president of the Clutha Valley branch of the Public Service Association, Mr Lester Kydd, said the workers on the site were very pleased with the decision.

"We are happy some politicians can see some common sense and see the solu-

tion that was there from the start,” he said. He praised the Social Credit leader, Mr Beetham, and the deputy leader, Mr Knapp, who had “forgotten about politics” when they visited the area last week. The Clyde workers had been "very disappointed" with the visit of Mr Rowling who had decided to “sit on Labour Party policy,” Mr Kydd said. Mr Kydd dismissed the threat of the private contractor to Ministry of Works jobs. The work-force at Clyde was guaranteed continuity of work at Luggate, then at Queensbury, taking it into the 19905. Mr Kydd said he represented 165 Ministry workers at Clyde. Another 360 workers were members of the Workers’ Union and 250 were with the private contractor. The chairman of the Friends of the Clutha, Mr Paul Powell, condemned the decision. He said Mr Muldoon’s comment that the appellants

would be wasting their time and money going ahead with their appeals was "reprehensible." Mr Jowell said that Mr Beetham had acted in a “shallow political fashion." Mr Powell, author of the book, “Who killed the Clutha," said a lot of "nonsense" had been talked about irrigation in connection with the high dam. He said a low dam would provide as much water for irrigation, except that it would have to be pumped, “and what is better than using the power from the low dam for the people of the region?” A low dam, the option he said he preferred, would then preserve land in the upper Clutha for later employment. One of the appellants, Mr John McGregor, vowed that the group of nine appellants would not give up. “This has been going on for nine years now.” He said that Mr Muldoon’s comments made the “whole thing a farce.” . “The. Government has created the Water and Soil Conservation Act and also the Planning Tribunal. If it is its intention to override the decisions of the tribunal the whole thing becomes a farce.” Mr Beetham bad thrown away all his credibility with his proposals by breaking pre-election promises, he said. Mr McGregor also attacked the irrigation proposals, saying that first-class land next to the river was going to be flooded to irrigate second-class land. The appellants supported a low dam and "balanced” development of the Clutha, Mr McGregor said.