DREDGING OPERATIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 November 1939, Page 5

DREDGING OPERATIONS

BOROUGH COUNCIL’S ATTITUDE

REPLY TO RECENT CRITICISM

“The Council has been attacked in two cases because of its motion, cairicd a month or two ago, in regaid to the operations of the gold dredges on the West Coast. In both cases, I have no hesitation in saying that the Council has been entirely misrepresented, because right at the outset the Council did not protest against the operations of the gold dredges, as such. The intention of the motion was that some effort should be made to induce the Minister of Mines to tighten up the regulations in regard to the dredges leaving the land they have worked over in a suitable condition.”

These remarks were made by Cr. F. F. Boustridge at last evening’s meeting of the Borough Council. They were made following the reading of a letter from the Under-Secre-tary of the Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, but they were, occasioned, partly, by certain criticism at the meeting of the Grey County Council last month. The letter from the Under-Secretary acknowledged receipt of a further letter from the Council in regard to the wastage of soil during gold dredging operations. He advised that representations made in this matter had been investigated, and a report on the subject had been submitted for the consideration of the Mines Department.

Continuing his reply to the criticism Cr. Boustridge said, “If the land were left in a suitable condition after dredging operations, it would be available for tree planting or some other useful purpose. At present, the majority of the dredges on the West Coast are piling up gravel in enormous heaps. These are not. only an eyesore, but the land will be of no use for many years to come. To prove this, it is only necessary to look at the areas dredged 25 years ago. Only one area dredged at that time, and that is the one above Mawheraiti, -was put back in a fairly flat state. Now there are trees on it, but I do not agree with one correspondent who said that timber could be cut off this area. You might get wood suitable for tooth picks, but that is about as far as it goes. Still, this area has a plantation coming on, and it may be useful in the future. WHAT CAN BE DONE

“At Barrytown we have an example of what the Minister intended. It is a first-class example of what can be done. The area was very poor swamp land, but, after dredging, the soil was replaced, and, to-day, it is really good grazing land. The whole of the dredging areas on the West Coast could be levelled in the same way, and, if that were done, the regeneration of the land would be advanced by 25 years at least. That was the sole intention of the Council in taking this matter up.

“To anyone, who takes an aerial trip over the West Coast, it must be obvious that the whole of the arable land is situated in the valleys. That is where the dredges are working, because they are the only places where they can work. If all, or great number of our valleys are going to be torn up by dredges and the land left in heaps, then the chances of dur development on other lines, after the dredges are finished, are going to he very much retarded.” Continuing, Cr. Boustridge said that, at Ikamatua, two wheels were installed on the dredge for the purpose of replacing the soil, but he had been told that since the dredge went into operation the wheels had never once turned for the purpose for which they were installed. They should urge the Minister to tighten up the regulations as much as possible, so that the areas dredged could be left level and the soil put on top. By so doing, the rehabilitation of the areas would be hastened, and they would be made fit for growing trees, or. perhaps, they could be turned into arable land. Trees had been planted on the Rimu dredging site, but it had still to be proved that they would ever grow to any size.

Reverting again to the attacks on the Council for its motion in regard to the dredging operations. Cr. Boustridge said that one attack was made at a local body meeting and the other through a newspaper. In these attacks it was alleged that the Council was against the dredges. This was not the case. What the Council was concerned with was the rehabilitation of the land, and this was a matter of importance to everyone in the district.

With regard to statements that had been made that some of the dredges were working over very poor land that was of no use for any other purpose, Cr. Boustridge said that the Kanieri dredge was working on some of the poorest land in the district, but, nevertheless, this land had provided some grazing. If this dredge were operated on the same principle as the Barrytown dredge and the land were flattened out and the soil put on top. it would be rehabilitated in the same way as the Barrytown land. At Kumara there were tailings (iO, 70 and SO years old. and there, was nothing growing on them now but lichens, moss, gorse ' and blackberry. They were no good for grazing sheep. Cr. .1. B. Kent: Yes. but how many sheep did poor land like this carry before

Cr. Boustridge: Probably none, but if the land is put back at and in a drained condition it may carry sheep or cattle in 25 years’ time. Cr. Kent: All places are not like Barrytown.