HUTT RIVER BOARD

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 12, 14 July 1939, Page 5

HUTT RIVER BOARD

ENGINEER'S REPORT

The engineer to the Hutt River Board, Mr. H. Sladden, reported yesterday that there had been several small freshes in the river, the largest occurring on June 23. This was about seven and a half feet above normal in the higher reaches. Some small washouts had occurred and were receiving attention. The report stated that though the protection of the railway at Pitcaithley's was not primarily a matter for the board, the Railway Department not being a ratepayer, a suggestion had been made that provided the Department built a groyne the board might be prepared to make a cut similar to one at Belmont. Mr. Sladden said this course would improve the river channel and he was advised to confer with the Railway Department and report to the board. Generally, river conditions were satisfactory, the report added, The meeting of the. board, which was presided over by Dr. B. J. Dudley, decided not to lease its land next to the Stellin estate as it was not desirable from a flood-protection view that the gorse and broom growing on the land should be removed. The engineer stated that it might be necessary to prevent private owners from removing from river-bed land gorse and other growths which were valuable in cases of flood. The Public Works Department was granted permission to remove shingle and sand from an area adjacent to the reclaimed land provided the Department refilled the area with suitable spoil and exercised control over the area.