HUTT RIVER BOARD

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 267, 7 August 1929, Page 14

HUTT RIVER BOARD

« PLAN OF BOAT HARBOUR. The Hutt River Board met last night, Mr. W. T. Strand presiding. There were also present:' Messrs. J. Mitchell, C. Gostelow, W. H. Smith, and F. S. Hewar. A letter was received from the Lower Hutt Borough Council conveying to the members of the board the appreciation of the Mayor and councillors for agreeing to hand over the piece of the stopbank now incorporated in the bridge approaches. The public spiritedness of the board in so doing was very favourably commented upon at the last meeting of the council. . The engineer submitted a preliminary plan showing the suggested boat harbour at the mouth of the Hutt River. He stated that to dredge the area proposed to give a depth of four feet below mean water level would entail the removal of about 65,000 cubic yards. The total length of breastwork required would be about 1100 feet. The material dredged could be used for building up the area between the breastwork and the main channel of the Hutt River, giving space for a large number of boat sheds. A portion of the scheme could quite well be done and would suffice for present purposes. The breastwork, for instance, need only be for the present about twothirds of the proposed length, and until required only one-third of the area might be dredged. The chairman thought that this scheme was the ultimate objective which all desired, and he felt that it should be developed as fully as possible. A spacious boat harbour, such as it would be, would be a decided acquisition to the Hutt Valley. The Gear Island question again came under discussion. It was decided to call for tenders for the lease of the land under two headings, viz., for the whole island and for separate portions of the island. Mr. Strand considered that this’ step would bring the sports bodies together when they saw that some definite action was being taken.