ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW ON THE SILT “DAMAGE”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22698, 24 July 1948, Page 8

ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW ON THE SILT “DAMAGE”

REACTION IN N.S.W.

While almost 7000 acres of the Gisborne flats have been coated with varying depths of silt, liberally spread over inundated areas when the Waipaoa River burst its banks in May, there may be some comfort in the thought that fertility in most cases will be enhanced. The truth of that belief will not be accurately known until the resu’ts of a promised analvsis have been made available. Samples of the silt were taken and the analysis should ns received in Gisborne shortly. While awaiting the • text of t!ios< reports it is interesting to record the 'views of farmers along the Hawkesbury River. New South Wales, as stated by the Queensland Producer. Farmers Oppose Anti-flood Action Some years ago a New South Wales Minister’ for Works' convened a meeting of Windsor district farmers to consider a proposal for the construction of flood-banks along the Hawkesbury River to prevent the flooding of farms. The farmers turned up at the meeHng and opposed the anti-flood idea. Hawkesbury farmers do not mind floods. Such floods may sweep away all their crons, but that happens only now and then. The damage done by destruction of crops is more than repaid by the value of the silt deposited on the forms by floods. The Hawkesbury flats have been farmed for more than a hundred years and no fertiliser has been used. Despite the absence of fertilisers, the fiats are growing crops as luxuriantly ns ever, thanks to the silt. Hawkesbury farmers do not want flood prevention. They know the value of flood silt, the article concluded.