STORM AFTERMATH

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 15, 18 January 1940, Page 10

STORM AFTERMATH

MANY PROBLEMS

RECONSTRUCTION WORK

Many problems have arisen from the damage caused by the storms that visited^ Wellington on December 11 and 26-27, and it will probably be a considerable time before the whole job of restoration and reconstruction is disposed of.- Two phenomenal downpours of rain within a fortnight or so are liable to have serious consequences in any thickly populated area, and considering the configuration of Wellington and the sandy nature of much of the steep land at Lyall Bay and Island Bay, it is rather remarkable that even more damage to property did not occur.

"The storms resulted in more damage in the way of slips, especially on private property, than in any other period in the records of this department," said the City Engineer (Mr. K. E. Luke) today, when discussing the problems that had arisen. "The department is not only well '" occupied in dealing with its own problems, such as attending to slips and blocked and.collapsed drains, but it is also investigating difficulties that have arisen on private property and advising owners as to the best methods: to adopt: In the majority of cases, however, the council is not in any way liable for the damage that has occurred."

Certain of the slips on road reserves had entered into private property, and until investigation had been made as to the boundary lines and the appropriate remedy in the way of walling, etc., a number of those major slips could not be dealt with, Mr. Luke added. In the meantime, in the case of the big slip in the Carlton RoadSutherland Road; area, the department had erected a temporary'trestle bridge to give access to Carlton' Road pending the preparation of reconstruction plans. Many of the problems .affecting private property could only be satisfactorily dealt with by the erection of substantial retaining walls. Plans had to be prepared for some of the major works and then the necessary provision would have to be niade in the estimates for-the coming financial year.

Most of December was a hectic time for the City Engineer's Department.. Engineers and others had plenty to do dealing with the damage caused by the downpour on the 11th, and the second visitation came just at the wrong time, when saturated hillsides that had previously behaved themselves could stand no more and slid down, to add to the already sufficient troubles of the department. The job now is one of systematic reconstruction and seeing that the trouble points revealed by the storms are adequately attended to, having regard to the liability of the council or the property owner in each case. Reasonable weather before the winter will help tremendously in putting the job through, and, indeed, is very necessary, if substantial progress is to be made before winter brings its own problems.