Rain ‘too little too late’

Press, 15 July 1985, Page 1

Rain ‘too little too late’

Although the week-end’s rainfall broke five almost totally dry months it was still “too Uttle too late” for farmers, according to the president of North Canterbury Federated Farmers, Mr Michael Murchison.

The Meteorological Office at Christchurch Airport recorded 47mm of rain from 9 a.m. on Friday to 9 a.m. yesterday. The last substantial rainfall was recorded in mid-February, when 40mm fell. Mr Murchison said that unless more rain fell in the next four weeks many North Canterbury farmers would face extreme hardship.

"Many farmers I have talked to have never experienced such a dry winter before and without solid rain soon we are heading for a major disaster,” he said.

“With the ground so hard and dry now the ideal rain would be a gentle, warm rain to promote pasture

growth and moisten the soil, followed by about five days of solid rain that the soil could absorb. » Mr Murchison said such rainfall would not please farmers beginning to lamb as they could suffer lamb losses.

“But one way or another we all need the water,” he said.

A substantial rainfall was necessary also to alleviate an acute shortage of groundwater in North Canterbury. In Christchurch, the Ministry of Transport reported last evening that Brixton Street, Hornby, had to be closed for part of the weekend because flooding caused a section of the street to subside. Flood signs had to be posted also near minor flooded areas such as Locksley Avenue, near the Avon River stopbanks, and on Main South Road near Church Corner.

The Post Office supervising engineer in Christchurch, Mr Graeme Hore, said last evening that about 300 homes and business premises along Ferry Road and Barbadoes Street were without telephone service from Saturday afternoon until yesterday evening because of the rain.

“Water got into the telephone cables when a manhole was flooded and these cables had to be dried with joints replaced,” he said. “Otherwise there were only minor faults scattered round the city and about 20 small repairs carried out.”

The Christchurch Drainage Board’s deputy chief executive, Mr Don Cooper, said last evening that a water main broke at the corner of Blenheim Road and Watts Road on Saturday afternoon. “This caused flooding down towards Curletts Road and appears to have been caused by roadworks in the area which probably weakened the ground,” he said. “Our on-call staff were kept busy answering several minor calls for mainly blocked gratings and sumps.”