OTANOMOMO DISABILITIES.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLVI, Issue 17, 26 August 1919, Page 5

OTANOMOMO DISABILITIES.

FLOODING OF THE ROAD. Matters in connection with the road conveniences ol ! Otanoinomo came up for discussion at Friday's meeting of the I'hiiha County Council. W. Prentice, secretary Otanoinomo River and Drainage Hoard, wrote that he had been instructed l to draw the council's attention to the state ot' the watertables fronting sections I t and 17, Otanoinomo .Settlement. The watertables ini places were 'blocked with wood, which, prevented the water from, getting away, and during' heavy rain tiiis backed up on to the road.

It was resolved that the e ngin eer inspect the locality. The secretary of the board also forwaulcd astatement of accounts spent by the. board in cleaning out the main roadline ditches in the district. As the cleaning was beneficial to the council':) roads - the board asked the council to grant. a subsidy towards the cost. The amounts were: Centre drain through Otanomonio Settlement, £1!) 7>; cross drain from Centre Road to .main Port Road, £l4; main road drain. Lauder's corner to Port Molyneux, Clo Ss; main road drain from Lauder's lorner to Waitapeka bridge, 4s; —total. £lo.'! lSls.

Councillor North and tlu- chairman thought the council should have been asked before the work was done. On. Councillor North's motion it was resolved that when the engineer is satisfied that work to the value is done half the cost be provided- by the council out of rates. THE OTANOMOMO FLOODING. Councillor Christie said that he had been down at Otanoinomo and there was sft of water over the road. Something 'would have to be done to keep it in better condition. Matters could not go on as they had been. It was- only since the canal had ; been made that the Hooding was so bad. lie understood that a deputation of settlers was to have 'waited l on the council in regard to the matter,

Jn reply to Councilloi tin l engineer said the onlyi relief possible was a complete scheme that would drain .several thousand acres instead of a few •hundred. The present scheme was no good. The whole course should be dred-ged out from the bridge to Telford's, giving' the water a chance to yet away, and shut the canal up. It would cost nearly as much to make the embankment as to do the dredging. The bank had done a certain amount of good, but it was allowed to get out of repair. Both the drainage 'board and Mr Tel for d' disclaimed responsibility in regard to itst upkeep. Councillor Christie said that dredging was out of I lie range of "practical politics.'' There were no funds for that.

•Councillor North thought the matter one for the drainage board. It was not doing what it should in the matter. The council did not wflnt to put the water on to the settlers, but something would have to be done to remedy matters.

The -Chairman expressed the opinion that the settlers were to blame for the flooding,

Councillor Christie snitl that if the canal had been attended' to> it -might have done some good, but it 'had been

neglected, and some drastic steps were necessary to make those responsible wake up. Councillor Beg# asked how it would do to make a deviation of the road round the top of the lull, and close up the Otanomomo road altogether.

Councillor Xort'h said that if tiie drainage board was not going to take some action to protect the road the council would have to approach the railway authorities to put a viaduct in.

The Chairman said the board was- do # - iugi nothing to prevent the flooding, and yet.expected the council to keep tho road open. Councillor Begg said it appeared that the only method of giving access in sudi circumstances to Balclutlia was to let the water down the old, channel. Councillor Christie moved: "That the drainage board: be written' to notifying that unless some action was taken to keep the water off the road the I?aih\ay Department would 'bo written to asking them to put in a viaduct.'' The motion was carried.

TTfR WAITAPKTvA CAXAT,. Mr A. S. Malcolm, M.P., has received the following telegram from the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Dunedin:— "Be the Wait ape k a Canal.—Tho railway engineer, Dunedin, is strongly recommending the Chief Engineer to allow tho closing of the present spillway and) the construction of another spillway between the railway and the lagoon. He is asking for a telegraphic reply."