STOPBANK FAILURE

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 294, 7 September 1932, Page 10

STOPBANK FAILURE

Aftermath of the Floods WAIRARAPA PROBLEMS Erosion of Protective Works REPAIRS TO FENCING Dominion Special Service. Mastertoil, September 6. “The position is continuing to ease,” was the report to-nigiit of settlers in the flooded lower Wairarapa Valley. Thousands of acres of land are still under water? but the Jake level is dropping gradually, and the flood waters are receding from properties on the shores at the rate of eight or nine inches a day. It is anticipated (hat this will continue for about a week. After that the absorption of water from hollows and low-lying areas into which it has made its way will be a long matter.

Lambing will be in full swing within a week or two, and sheep farmers are fearing heavy mortality as a consequence of the effect of the severe weather on ewes and the mustering that has been necessary during the past ten days. The chief tragedy of the recent floods, according to a station owner, was the southerly gale on Saturday, which churned up the flood waters, after they broke through the stopbanks and badly damaged them. It was bad enough the north-westerly causing a gale breakthrough in the banks,” he said, “hut when we construct these stopbanks we don’t anticipate them being attacked from behind. Consequently when the wind changed to the south, and waves began to break over the banks from the inside, they began to crumble up fast.” Expert AdviceThose stopbanks on private property will probably be restored as soon as the water has completely receded from around them, but it is not anticipated that the big Kahutara bank will be repaired until expert advice regarding it had been obtained. In the opinion of some settlers in the locality it would be unwise to restore the bank until the diversion of the Turanganui River has been carried out. A considerable area in the lower valley is still under water, the stopbanks preventing the water getting away freely. Mr. E. C. Holmes, of Te Hopai, estimates that it will be six weeks before his property is free of flood water, although the position should be substantially relieved well within that time. Half of Mr. C. Matthews’s station, Opurua, is still under water, while 1000 acres of the Elgar estate are well covered. »

The work of repairing damage to fencing is being carried on apace, and it is anticipated that the bulk of this work will be completed within a month. The Featherston County Council has gangs of relief workers employed In restoring fencing. These men were engaged on drainage work, which it has been necessary to close down temporarily on account of floods, so their absorption in fencing work is a matter of convenience. Opening of River Outlet. The opinion - that it would not be advisable to rebuild stopbanks damaged by the floods has been expressed by the Hon. A. D. McLeod. Mr. McLeod expressed a doubt whether the settlers would tackle the work unless an improved outlet was provided for the river waters. If there had been no stopbanks, said Mr. McLeod, there would have been little or no loss of stock during the recent flood. The settlers had depended on the banks and had had no chance of getting their stock out when the banks failed. Mr. McLeod said he had always maintained that the opening up of the river outlet should be tackled first. The whole position was hedged with risks when the banking was started ten years ago.

The railway service between Masterton and Wellington is now back to normal, the only restriction being that trains have to run at a reduced speed over the damaged Tauherenikau River bridge at Fernside. Some very serious erosion of river protection works has taken' place, chiefly on Government settlement sections at Tawaha and Aliiakouka. About £5OO worth of work has been washed away, and one section at Tawaha, completed two months ago, has been wiped out. The Hon. A. D. McLeod, member for the district, communicated with the Minister of Lands, Hon. E. A. Ransom, regarding the matter, and an immediate inspection by the chief surveyor or Public Works engineer has been arranged.