HUTT RIVER SCHEME.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 252, 17 July 1908, Page 8

HUTT RIVER SCHEME.

CANAL AND DOCK PROPOSED. IMPORTANT REPORT BY MR. LAING- ' ' MEASON.- ■ ' At last night's meeting of the Hutt River Board .Mr.: Laing-Measoii,: Engineer ,to the Board, presented a voluminous report on the possibility of improving and • regulating -the. deep-water channel of the eastern branch 'of the river, so as to allow of the admission and accommodation of vessels.- After dealing exhaustively with the past and present condition of the river, Mr. Laing-Meason put forward a scheme for the utilisation of. the closed western, branch of the river at Gear Island for a,dock and swinging basin, to ho roachcd by means of a canal running partly down that branch, then across the five hun-dred-yard neck of land at the end of Pctono Borough—about a quarter of a mile- on the Petone side of the Gear Company's manure works—in a practically straight lino to tlio sea, where a further section—protected by a training wall —would bo dredged the required width, depth, and longth. ■ It is not considered feasible by the Engineer to use the eastern branch of the river by which tho bulk of the waters reach the sea.-. "Under such adverse natural conditions as now prevail in the eastern branch," continues the report; "the formation of a channel through the. delta, and in the river, and the construction, of the necessary wharves and other works for the accommodation and safety of vessels, would be attended by the most serious difficulties /and enormous espenso; wliilo the subsequent maintenance of the works would be exceedingly costly. The ■ navigation ■ of. the channel also ■ would be subject to frequent' interference, • if not actual interruption, by the floods, and only an' intermittent; and' unsatisfactory, navigation could bo maintained." The western branch,, it is pointed out; offers .much fewer difficulties. Althoiigh .it is not now connected with .the harbour,'' yet the intervening land is not of any great Width or height—respectively 500 . yards and 9 feet. The water, in ; . the- harbour opposite the lino; is,said to .be comparatively deep! Tile two fathom line in Port Nicholson is reached in about ,550 yards from high- water 'mark, and the-five-fathom-line-is about, 1100"j-ards. ' '. ACCOMMODATION FOR LARGE ' ■ ' ; ' VESSELS; /,'", ' : . There • would' bo. no _ special difficulty (anticipates ;the report) -in.'excavating; a canal through the nefck of . land between'river'and sea. or m dredging ' a . channel. into . Port JNlcholson in continuation-of the canal; and the. river itself, still water, could ba easily and cheaply deepened to any required extent as .far up stream as. the. upper dam. A depth of 14 feet at. low water-would ak low ot tho passage of steamers class trading to - Wanganui, • Foxton, and tho smal or ports of ihe; Dominion, at all states of tho tide,, whilst at. or near high-tide- ■? innn C i ® otll Pr vessols up to 800 to 1000 tons could pass in and out. ; In the >J or f lon "f-,^ 0 clianne! a bottom water ot 50, feet would be sufficient for such vessels; m the river 60 feet, and in the approach channel in the harbour, 130 feet. In order on r ty o " approach channel.' in southerly weather, and also to prevent its sboalnig_ by the-sand being , washed into 'it, v.n'l 8 n J ecos^, ar y to cre ct a training . tall to seaward. Should the necessity arise JJL i ) ? "' 0 °. hann el could be readily dredged to any required dimensions'. • . " ' A basm 600 ft by 250 ft;, at the head of the channel, with a depth of 15ft., would be necessary to allow vessels to swing. • Provi-' sion is mado in the estimates for 700 ft of -wharfage, which would allow'for berthing two,.of the larger and two smaller steamers, of one larger, and three-smaller steamers: Tho' spoil dredged from the channel could be conveniently and economically disposed on' tho eastern side of the_ training - wall, 'where: it would help to reclaim an area which would becomo valuablo land in the future.' SWING-BRIDGES, FOR ROADWAYS. *, r Eo ? d communication across the canal, says Mr. Lamg Meason, would have to be provided for. .Two roads cross tho lino of the suggested channel. It would bo necessary to : construct, at Jackson* Street, : a swing-bridge ■ with 'a';6offc : clearway on "each 'side 'of the' pivot pier, and with one 20ft. fixed 6pan on each side.: The 50ft. clearways would be wide -enough for much 1 larger ;vessels than those' ■ already indicated, Tlio Esplanade' carries very little.traffic, ■ and should-'bo closed from /the canal sito, eastward, ,and : the'traffic diverted by >a short. now, street to Jackson Street. . , - The Hutt .Park Railway, also crosses the site of the canal. As the Gear Company purpose, shifting, .their' 'works' to- another locality,; and'as the-Borough' Council will shortly , replace, the/ night-soil depot by' septic tanks,, to which, the sowage "will be pumped, .the, necessity: disappears for" carrying the line beydnd the site of the canal. '.The city water pipes and the- proposed Petone .sewage pumping mains could be carried under tho canal : in a tunnel. . " Should -it •be required in the future, the channel could, be readily widened; and deepened, and: extended <to, the, ■ five-fathom "line by dredging:, • In.that.case the training wrd] would also have, to be extended, -and Mr. .Laing-Measoii'suggests'' preparation for'. any such; possible' future 'devefepmeiit.'' . THE COST ESTIMATED. _ In ordor ' to arrive; at' a reliable" estimate of-the cost of- works under consideration, the engineer priced all works very liberally, and allowed a largo 'margin for" Unforseen' constructive contingencies." For a channel 14ft. in. depth, ,and .of tho widths: mentioned,' ho estimates: the, total cost at .from!' £65,000. to £70,000.-(..Tliis'included'excavation of channel,, training wall in' road, and pipe crossings;. 700 ft. ; of wharfage, engineering, and .contingencies. ,The interest J at,s per cent, (which would cover) sinking fund) on £70,000 is £3500; whereas a hanpenny rate ion jtlie unimproved rateable ./value of the Petone and Lower Hutt, Boroughs alone (£1,728,728) would realise ,£3600. No doubt if the project were given effect; to'a very .much largor special rating, area than the two' boroughs would bo adopted. SCHEME PERFECTLY FEASIBLE. It' 4 ' is /pointed > out by Mr. ■ Laing-Meason that he has considered the question from the engineering. side only,. and from '.that' standpoint be is able to state that the scheme is perfectly feasible, and that the cost would be moderate. He contends that -no other locality in Port Nicholson presents the same I for .manufacturing-.sites —for which some 300 acres would bo available in, the immediate vicinity—-and that the price of .the'-land, at any'other ; place, "is " at least four or-five .times more than.on Goar Island ' and the;' surrounding area. -Pending the developments ..which . would. warant' proceeding with'the .channel, he suggests'that negotia- ; tions... should' be opened with the Hutt Pa rk Railway . Company, . with a 'view' to acquiring running, rights over the line. .The line, ho says, cpUM be readily and. ch'eaplv : carried across the lower dam , and, extended to the centra of ths- island,- so that manufacturers could- have direct rail communication to Wellington and the general railway system. The line, of course, • would need' repairing. "If •such an arrangement were made," concludes tho report, it would greatly encourage the establishment of manufacturing concerns on Gear Island and vicinity, and I believe that not many years would' pass before the development,of that locality would justify the construction of tho channel." • DISCUSSION BY THE BOARD. In the subsequent discussion by tho Board Mr. R.i Stevens-eulogised -tho-report'.of tho Enginoor, and', hoped' that "all tho proposals contained therein would bo agreed to-by tho Board' riiid carried out'at an early date. ; The Chairman (Mr./ W. G. Foster) .' considered Uliat tho proposal was' well within practical accomplishment,, and pointed to tho' valuo of,the land which it: was proposed to reclaim.;' This would, without doubt,'bo very valuable' for' factory-sites in tho future: Tho danger to hb guarded against was the possible ■ monopoly -in the acquisition! of this land: It wai resolved that the Engineer bo instructed .to proceed -with tho survey .in- con- : nection iwitli tho work 1 suggested in the scheme. ! , 1 The 'Chairman suggested having a short special report printed,, and that a copy, accompanied by a lithographed plan of the., proposed work, bo sent'to all manufacturers in the. district, and-city. This course was approved by..-the Board.-