Chairman gives Ashley flood priority

Press, 30 August 1986, Page 2

Chairman gives Ashley flood priority

Flood works at the Ashley rivermouth should probably concentrate on strengthening a southern embankment, according to the chairman of the North Canterbury Catchment Board, Mr Richard Johnson.

Attempts to cut a channel through a northern spit at the mouth to relieve floodwaters appeared to be a waste of money, he told a meeting of the resources committee yesterday.

Mr T. M. Inch said that the flood of August 11-13, the biggest for about 30 years, did not reach the Waikuku Beach settlement so more residents

now favoured strengthening the embankment than before the flood.

A board attempt on August IT to cut through the beach spit on the centreline of the river at its mouth failed. The board is compiling an Ashley River management plan and continues to monitor the river in the mean time. In his report the senior engineering officer, Mr G. C. Scholes, said that the board should be prepared to create a spit cut and a low point in the beach, north of the rivermouth centreline, in the event of a serious flood.

The board’s river and damage engineer, Mr Bob Reid, said that permanent repairs to the right stopbank of the river downstream from the State highway one bridge would begin when ground conditions allowed for it. During the recent flood emergency repair works held the stopbank erosion and Waikuku Beach residents were allowed to return to their homes. Flood warning The committee recommended that the board should proceed in principle with its general flood warning project for the board’s district including the purchase of equipment costing thousands of dollars.

Some doubt still hung over whether the board would receive a Government grant of $190,000 towards the project, said resource planning manager, Mr Mike Bowden. He reported that about $78,000 would be available for Waimakariri scheme investigations.