REPAIR OF DAMAGE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21384, 20 April 1944, Page 4

REPAIR OF DAMAGE

urgent tasks ahead BRIDGING FLOOD DIPS “During the past month the work carried out by 'the coumiU’s field staff lias been almost entirely on flood damage repairs, and two contractors’ bull dozers tone of them from Wellington) and the council's hull-dozer, as well as the council’s four graders, have been working almost continuously," stated the acting engineer, Mr J. Gunn, in his report to yesterday’s monthly meeting of the Cohk County Council. He added that all the main roads had been opened up for car traffic, but few of the roads which had been badly affected by the flood would be restored to good order before the end of the winter. Some of the by-roads were still closed. The engineer detailed some of the main tasks facing the engineering staff, and gave short reports oh projects designed to relieve the effects of flooding in some of the county. One of these was a proposed bridge at the junction of Pilmer’s road and Tucker's road, near Makauri, which he recommended should be high enough to exceed the known 'flood level, and long enough to offer no obstruction to tlie flow of flood water. The type of bridge proposed was a three-span structure. 90ft. in length, the estimated cost being £1350 for a two-way bridge and £9OO for a one-day bridge. A two-span bridge of, similar characteristics, was proposed for a site at College road, where the road passed over a flood channel. The estimate here was £9OO for a two-way and £6OO for a one-way bridge. The council deferred final consideration of these projects until the annual estimates were before the council. A further project, entailing a contribution towards a stop-bank and flood-gate at Lavenham, Patutahi, of an estimated total cost of £550. was held over for attention by the riding member, Mr G. V. SihiAhi The engineer’s proposal that the council should contribute to the proposed new storm drain at Waerenga-a-Hika, was approved. The council agreed to subsidise, £1 for £l, the cost of four chains of 30in. ’concrete piping. The cost to the council will be approximately £95. Approval was given to an outlay of £95 in trebling the capacity of a culvert on Tucker’s road, hear the Makauri School. The flooding in this locality usually conies from the Taruheru Creek overflow, arid the existing culvert is able to handle only about one-third of the maximum flood flow. Mr Gunn was instructed to secure an estimate of the cost of a mechanical shovel with drag-line attachment, which he recommended as the most suitable tool for heavy drain-cleaning work in the county.