HUTT RIVER POLICY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 204, 26 May 1944, Page 6

HUTT RIVER POLICY

Willow planting was only playing with the Hutt River control problem, said Mi. James Stellin. outlining his river board policy. He advocated a three cubic yards walking dragline—not the sort used by the shingle companies—which would clear and deepen the main channel and form stopbanks on each side. This system had been used successfully on the Waimakariri in Canterbury and on tbe Mississippi and other groat American waterways. Such a dragline operated on caterpillar tracks right alongside the riverbank, forming its own stopbank and track and deepening the river as it proceeded. Such a dragline would form its own shingle deposits at intervals and be less gostly for shingle recovery than the present methods. Further, the boarii would lose no royalties. Logs left in the river for years caused considerable trouble and expense. One caused the 'undermining and washing away of 30-year-old willows. Groynes costing £169 apiece had to be put in to make good the loss of the trees, when, in the first place, the embedded log could have been removed for little cost. Shingle clearance by the method ho advocated was based on success in great world waterways. Further, summer inspections should be regular and followed by aetiou ; it was no use waiting till the damage was done by w,ct season floods. Stopbanks formed by the proved dragline methods he advocated would provide pleasant sceniu carriageways along the riverside. ,