RECLAMATION WORK

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 158, 1 April 1937, Page 15

RECLAMATION WORK

Good Progress at Hutt River Estuary LAND FOR INDUSTRIES In the provision of a new area for industrial purposes to meet the needs of Ihe growing Hutt Valley, the big reclamation work at the estuary of the Hutt River is being pushed ahead. About 120 men are at present engaged on the job, which is being carried out by the Public Works Department. Now that the retaining walls have been secured the work of filling is being greatly expedited. . From the pipe bridge toward the river mouth a solid wall extends for a distance of 24 chains, and this eliminates any fear of serious damage to the work by flooding of the river or abnormal tides. Since the work was started close on a year ago, the construction of the retaining walls has been the major work. The whole time the department has been

labouring under the possibility of dtynage, but it has been fortunate in encountering no serious setback. Except for the retaining walls not a great deal lias been shown up to the present for an immense amount ot work, simply because the job has been attacked from the side nearest the river, and the deepest fills have been met first. In consequence progress to the casual onlooker has been slow. Such has not been the case, however, and the stage has now been reached where the efforts of the workmen will appear tp accelerate, and big changes will be seen during the next two months. , Two Diesel excavators and three sf-ick-line drag lines are in use, and rock and spoil is also being acquired from two nearby quarries. Work is also proceeding at present with the construction or retaining walls at Seaby Island. The work already in hand rs armed at the reclamation of 94 acres as part of a projected scheme for winning 150 acres from the water. When this is accomplished. and it is expected the work will be finished in another two yeggs, there will be a valuable addition to the area available for industrial purposes.