HUTT ESTUARY

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 5, 6 July 1922, Page 7

HUTT ESTUARY

JtE&AMATION PROPOSALS

IMK)HTANT WORKTO BS ; ; ■'; ■'" .UNDERTAKEN, -:---. : ;:■

Snortly after his election to the. pps£ tion of chairman of. the Hutt Riverl Board, Mr. W. T.- Strand became con 4 vinced that the board had a greafj asset" awaiting development at tha?, mouth of the river, and that byveW simple means, the channel pf the: riv^ could be: improved, and a large' area of land reclaimed from the sea. Thaj board cordially approved of the scheme^ which approval was confirmed; by ;th# Board's engineer, ■ Mr. Laing-Steaspn^ The board, however, could not .procee&B with the matter until certain' 'detail* "had_ been arranged with adjoining locaM bodies, and snore especially with "thai Wellington Harbour Board/ and tbrt Marine Department, whiah bodies', con< trolling as ,they do the harbour-waters J were vitally interested' Certain mem-j bers of the River .Board were'dlbpute* to meet' the Harbour Board and Marine*. Department in oonferencei -to vexpfaitt)' the scheme, with the ..result' thit "thai matter has received the, complete eny dorsement of all. parties concerned' an* a Local Bill his been drafted; wMcM embodies the agreement arrived at; tS be pl*ced before Parliament tnis ges^i sion. ,• ' .•■■-•.,-. :■■■'■.'■':■:' .■•i-,. v .,-.-i' i'- ■- Briefly/ the scheme ig to' bnild "half 4 Ude" training walla to niore",:br Jessi • .confine the river waters to a ■ btrai*htf channel. These- walls ■ Will ■ have thej! effect of creating a' "dead waietV area? between -them and the. present ' bank's,* and also on either side, where the wallsjut out into the harbour.. In this still! area, it is expected that the river will deposit its silt in flood time arid"'they harbour its' drifting "sand. The areaal e n i. edailned ' as set'outln-the plan»| are 200. acres on the eastern'side ofil the estuary and 65 acres on the western.'! side. As the workiis to he Carried-outV ■■ by the Riyer Board, the whole of the;. area, with certain reservations, is "'tai ■' become the property of the'Hutt Ri'veii' Board, to be disposed of in any manner; it sees fit: /The 'reservations are -that? ' a strip 100 feet; wide along the -new; sea front will be dedicated to the Har4 hour. Boatd, and also, a 66 feet ,wida>stnp on each side of the river channel! ' for road purposes. The Harbour Boar* also has the right at anytime, durmai: the first, five, years only .to resume' tttxirther strip of not more than' 200 feetil n eitller si?a of the.channel, foir'; which strips it will ba required ,;tb'pay,, i compensation to amount to not ■mbi.-ii than the cost, of reclaiming plus 10 per' cent;. aimual ■ interest.. The- HarboUrj Board I has the right to erect wharves,: etc.,'on either the sea frontage or thel' sides of the proposed clianneL ; The River,-Board does;..not propose, at any one time,; .to .spend any 'large. ' sum on, the scheme, bnt to proceed withf the work out of revenue as frpta timef , to time the funds will permit. The! | important thing is that the whole ofi:, j the work of reclaiming will be donW by natural forces, assisted by. cheaply) erected training walls. The board expects to be able to,make a start during the present financial year, and is con- - fident that the beneficial Tesulfc will sooii be apparent. .'..-.• At a meeting of the River Board helcfilast evening, the draft.Bill was api} proved, and, the' agreement with thW Wellington Harbour Board, .approve* and signed; The chaimian, Mr..Wr T.; Strand, moved that the board • place oa - record its appreciation of .the i.vray^'in' which the Harbour BoaTd had met tha River Board in ! the matter,-by no« placing a single obstacle in its path'<-'-It had been a real pleasure to deal wit» such a courteous body. The HarbourfJ Board staff and solicitor and engineer,/ ■• also the River Board's1 own solicitor./ ' Mr. E. P. Bunny, were also thanked. Mr. Strand also said that he"wa«"sui'4 the future would see the two,-Boards..-working in still closer co-operation ■ ioi ■ the welfare, o£ the whole.district. Thersi should be. more co-opera^6n between!' all local bodies. . Wellington, people?' .recognised that the.'city,:-.could"'x/njtfj' develop in the direction of;! tlie Hiittl : Valley and improvements would assis| -: the whole district., .. . . ;:; ;;.■ '■■;;';:;;': . Mr. Futter, a member of. the Hoatfd"*,-^.: thanked the chairman and other...jnem-'.f'j bers for bringing nesptiationa to a si""-'- ■ cessful issue. : ' "'■■-.•'■• ■'.■',■«■ •.•..'j:r.j/-';.^.