THE WAIRAU BAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 123, 11 February 1918, Page 7

THE WAIRAU BAR

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER OF MARINE. The Hon. T. M. Wilford, Ministei of Marine, arrived in Blenheim on Friday morning. Hβ was mot by members of the Wairau Harbour Board and conducted to the Wairau Bar, where' ho inspected the works already done there and made himself thoroughly conversant with what was needed to bo done to make and keep an open channel for shipping. On returning to town, after luncheon the Minister met a deputation at the Council Chamber. Mr. Pike, chairman of the board, opened by saying that the work at the bar had costs £5252. Of this the Government had provided £2500. The last flood had carried away 90ft; of the wall. They required assistance to carry on the retaining wall and strengthen the present work. He read a letter from Mr. Wright, Public Works Engineer, who said: "The south hank has recently encroached considerably into the channel, and this will -sontinuo to encroach unless your board win concoutrate the whole flow of the water along the south side of the training wall. I find that the titree and stones in the training wall have sunk to low-water mark. I would strongly urge your hoard to have the titree and stone in the training wall raised to the original height of high-water mark, so. as to concentrate tho now of the water into the channel and against the encroaching bank. Probably, if your board could see your way to lengthen the traininc; wall so that the outer end of the wall would come nearly parallel with the coast lino, it would materially help in keeping the channel open in a direct line for some considerable rime—that is, till the north hank extended further SB Mi* rl "\Vilford, in reply, said that he saw the work of strengthening the wall was urgent, nnd ho proposed to recommend the Government to grant a sum «£ money up to £2000 for the immediate prosecution of the work, subject to the approval of the pla.is and specifications by tho Department's engineer.