MOERA FLOODING

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 49, 26 August 1930, Page 10

MOERA FLOODING

BY AWAMOTU STREAM

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

WOBK.TO COST£33OO

Cabinet has approved of a reeom. mendation by the Minister of Public. Works (the Hon. W. B. Taverner) that a substantial subsidy be granted for the carrying out of works to prevent flooding of the Moera Settlement, Lower Unit, by the Awainotu Stream. The work is estimated to cost £3330. The Government is prepared to provide three-fourths'of this sum if the local bodies concerned will find the balance. '•■• Some time ago considerable inconvenience and some distress was caused to residents of Moera and adjoining; blocks by the flooding of the Awamotu Stream. Since then improvements hav<j been effected by straightening ■ tha' course of the stream aud the construction of larger culverts through the! Hutt Park, and also by the clearing of the stream channel through the settlement by the Hutt River Board. Tha residents, however, felt that somei thing more should be done to prevent flooding, and also complained that water lying in the swampy areas in and adjacent to the settlement was a menace to the health of the community. At the request of Mr. W. Nash, M.P.j the then Minister of 'Railways , (the Hon. W. B. Taverner), in company with Government, borough, and river board, officials, inspected the locality, and as a. consequence gave instructions that a committee consisting of the Chief Engineer, Railway Department, the Assistant Engineer-in-Chief, Public Work* Department, the borough and - river board engineers, and the Chief Surveyor, should prepare a report on the whole position and make recommendations for alleviating th« trouble. A DIFFICULT PROBLEM. The committee's report, which was released for publication by the Minister of Public Works to-day, indicates that the problem is a difficult one owing to the fact that the fall in the stream is extremely small, and that some of tha low-lying lands are below high spring tide level. , • The Awamotu Stream a few years agoj flowed through flat' paddocks wheva occasional flooding was of little consoquene'e, but the rapid cutting, up of tha area ■ for residential purposes and ita rapid settlement has caused a greatly, increased run-off. The committee finds that the works already carried out by the Eivef Board and through the Hutt Park have greatly improved the situation, but recommends* that further improvements be carried out by filling in certain of tho swamp areas between White's line and Elizabeth street, and the enlarging! of the culvert at Elizabeth street. Apart from the health point of view, the reclaiming of these areas will provide additional areas that can be utilised for building and recreational purposes. The committee also stresses the need for keeping the stream beds of both tho Waiwetu and Awamota Streams cleaned out. The Wellington City Council's,.water mains cross the channel of the Awamotu Stream in the Hutt Park, and/ offer some obstruction to the flow. THe com.-, mittee expresses the opinion that 8om«'. alteration should be made there to provide a free flow for the flood waters. DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS. The 'recommendations of the committee involve the provision of an. additional waterway at Elizabeth street, at a cost of £150; the filling in of _th« low-lying ground between White's Lime and Awamotu street, at a cost of.£180; and the filling in of a. considerable area of raupo swamp adjoining tha. stream and adjacent to cottages between . the industrial lino and Elizabeth street, to cost £3000. .. . The committee expresses the opiniou that the remedial measures outlined will prevent flooding save in the Hutt Park during ordinary abnormal conditions, but in the event of a combination of exceptional circumstances such as may occur from time to time in any, part of tho world, flooding may still conceivably occur. To make provision for such an occurrence is, in the opinion of the committee, unjustified in the existing circumstances, as to do s« would entail resorting to a suitable pumping scheme at a very considerable cost. Moreover, should such a scheme be necessary at any time in the future, nothing which had been done up.to the present would be found unnecessary, and the cost in that case would not be increased. BREEDING OF MOSQUITOES. The question of public health being affected by the breeding of mosquitoes in the low-lying areas between White'B Line and Elizabeth street ias been raised by residents in the vicinity. The committee states that the areas referred to may be breeding grounds for mosquitoes, 'bat that it is problematical whether the health of the community, is adversely affected on that account. The swampy areas, however, . must necessarily cause dampness in the vicinity, which may be inimical to' health. This is one of the reasons that ,gavo rise to the recommendation for. reclaiming the swampy areas in certain localities. It is anticipated that sales of reclaimed sections will reimburse tho Government to the extent of about £1000. ADVANTAGEOUS TO ALL. Commenting to-day on ' the cow mitteo's- report, the member for tn» district, Mr. Walter Nash, who has played a largo part in the negotiations for overcoming tho difficulty, stated that discussions were now being entered into with a view to the work bein" undertaken as soon as possibl« Early action, he maintained, was necessary not only from' a social and health point of view, but because tho scheme would give relief to the large -number 1 of unemployed in the district, who could do the work quite well. ■&«. • Kash said that the question o± adjustment of costs as between the Government and tho local bodies affected ha<* still to be decided. He considered thafr the. work proposed to be done would b# advantageous to aTI concerned. ,