RIVER DIVERSION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 184, 21 July 1911, Page 5

RIVER DIVERSION

MEETING WITH THE

ENGINEERS

A meeting was held in the H.B. County Council Chambers this morning for the purpose of conferring with the Engineers. Messrs. Kennedy. Laing-Meason and Thomson, on the flood problem. The Hon. J. D. Ormond presided, and there were also present Mr. T. Mason Chambers (Chairman, County Council), Messrs. Donnelly and Simson (members of the Rivers Board), and a number of settlers. On behalf of Mr. R. Dickson Mr. Chambers asked that the engineers consider the question of straightening the Awanui creek and relieving his property from flood-water from Poukawa Lake. Mr. R. L. Patterson asked if the Ngaruroro river could be dredged to prevent erosion. The engineers did not reply, but said the question had been noted bv thenT.

Air. iiathie (Clive) brought under the notice of the engineers a letter he had contributed to the press. He held the Port Ahuriri outlet of the Tutaekuri river was the safetyvalve for the whole district, and it would be very dangerous to interfere with it. Speaking of the mouth of the Ngaruroro, Air. Rathie said that the big sea was the cause of flooding. If it was not for the sea backing up the waters there would be little flooding. In ’97 both mouths of the river were open. A washout at Aluddy creek relieved the flood-waters in ’97.

Mr. Collinson (Papakura) pointed out various works which had been undertaken in years gone past. He said that in ’97 a lot of flood-water came from Pakowhai and ent in the direction of Plumpton Park. He did not believe the water would go to AVaitangi if the Tutaekuri was straightened. In high seas it would be disastrous to Aleanee as the sea water came into the swamp instead of flood water going out to sea.

Air. J. A. McFarlane (Clive Grange) pointed out that there was danger of the Tuki Tuki river leaving its present course under the Tuki Tuki bridge. There was a dangerous increasing tendency of the river to cut away on the righthand side. Something should be done to prevent this. The original retaining wall c<?st £2700, and in the last seven years he had spent £2400, and the County Council and others hftd contributed about £6OO, making £3OOO in all. The protective works could be made without great cost.

Mr. B. B. Hill (Femhill) said that ; a small amount of work was neeesI sary just below the bridge. Since i Maori point had come off the course of the river had improved greatly. Mr. Talbot brought under the attention of the engineers the banking of the Tuki Tuki river. Mr. Powdrell (Meanee) pointed out the danger arising from the silting up of the old bed of the Ngaruroro caused by the growth of willows. In another 15 years there would be no channel there at all. He also suggested putting the Tutaikuri into the inner harbour through Wharerangi. He considered the opening of the old bed most important as it drained not only Te Aute. but also Waraekakaho and endangered Hastings itself. Mr. Talbot suggested that something should be done to the north bank of the river at Roy’s Hill. Wire fence diversions had been most effective in Tcmuka.

Mr. E. Lane (Napier) said he was representative of the people on the Land Board and the Harbour Board. He pointed out that a great part of Napier South was inundated in time of flood. The straightening of the Ngaruroro would greatly benefit Hastings and Mahora. It was the lesser volume of water that flooded Napier South, the greater volume went out by the mouth of the Ngaruroro, and if that outlet took a larger volume it would not effect the lesser. He emphasised Mr. Ferguson’s statement that silt should be prevented from going into the harbour. He did not speak officially for the Harbour Board.

Air. Dickson further touched upon the twisted course of the Awanui creek before it entered the Ngaruroro river. It was important that this creek should be attended to.

Air. Simson endorsed Air. Dickson's remarks and said he would drive the engineers there at- a moment’s notice. He also wanted the engineers’ opinion upon the proposed diversion of the Tutaekuri at Taradale bridge. He touched upon the flood of water from Pakowai to which a previous speaker had referred, and urged that the engineers go into the matter. There was a great criminal waste of land between the Aleanee bank and the inner harbour.

Air. Donnelly suggested that if the engineers wished to visit any part of the district again that the settlers should meet them.

Mr. Powdrell further elaborated his ideas upon diversion. Mr. D. Ericksen (Papakura) said that if the Tutaekuri was diverted at Waitangi it would be disastrous to the settlers in that disrict as a westerly gale would back the water right up to Hastings. Mr. E. Lane pointed out to the engineers that the overflow of the Tutaikuri was a matter of levels and not of evidence from settlers. As to the question of gales backing up water he pointed out that the mouth of the Ngaruroro had also to be considered, and if that river got gut the Tutaekuri should be able to do so also.

Mr. Pattison again urged the danger of diverting the Tutaikuri at Wa’itangi. Mr. Rathie pointed out that tjhey often had a flood in the Tuki Tuki when there was none in the Ngaruroro. It was advisable that the Ngaruroro should be cleaned out. Mr. Palleson urged that the presence of the weirs in the Tutaekuri increased the danger from flood. Mr. Burr pointed out that his district (Papakura) was constantly being flooded by small floods. Mr. R. L. Patterson urged the wisdom of dredging the rivers and straightening the courses. Mr. Powdrell said that he was convinced the Tutaekuri river was gradually filling up right from the Puketapu gorge to the sea. He reckoned there had been a rise in the bed of about 12ft. The banks were now useless unless raised after each flood. To Mr. Donnelly : Between Meanee and the Park Racecourse there was fully 1000 acres of land which could be profitably reclaimed. Mr. Donnelly said that in ’67 the Ngaruroro water ran between Roy’s Hill and Fernhill, and the land which was flooded in those days received no flood water now. Banks had altered all that. The

bed of the Ngaruroro between the bridge and Maori point had risen fully 12 or 16 feet, and it was still going on. In the old days there was no shingle in the river right down to Chtesterhope. The action of the Railway Department in putting in large stones at their bridge had raised the bed of the river. The Department should be called upon to remove this obstruction. The river also needed to be cleaned and straightened. The Ngaruroro overflow now came into the Tutaekuri in big floods instead of going towards Hastings as in ’67. He endorsed the opinion that the direction of the flood was north-

ward. Mr. G. Merrett endorsed the opinion that the stones put in by the Railway Department at their bridge had raised the bed of the stream until the outlet of the Hastings sewer was now eight feet under water.

Mr. Powdrell in reply to Mr. Lane, said he thought that both the Ngaruroro and Tutaekuri should be discharged into the inner harbour in time.

Mr. Merritt declared that if Nature had taken its course the whole three rivers would have flowed into the inner harbour.

The meeting then terminated with a vote of thanks to the chairman.