Boys’ High School

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 179, 14 July 1927, Page 7

Boys’ High School

Protection From Floods. MR KENNEDY’S REPORT. GOVERNORS’ DECISIONS. After consideration of the subjoined report from Mr C. D- Kennedy on the flood at the Boys’ High School and th© further protective works necessary, the Board of Governors passed th© following resolutions :

That' the report be received, and that the raising of th© bank from the dam to the junction of the cut with the river be proceeded with in terms of Mr Kennedy’s report; and following that a bank from the dam to the road be proceeded with either to the north of the Harbour Board block or to the south of the Harbour Board block according to the decision of the Harbour Board; that a special committee comprising the chairman, Messrs. Wilson, de Castro, and Cato consider the reply from the Harbour Board with power to act. That the Harbour Board's attention he drawn to the need for improving K the outlet to the Tutaekur’ river. That in view of the report that Hie flooding of the High School block was contributed to by the large flow of water turned into the Awatoto block, the Harbour Board he asked to take such steps as may be necessary to prevent any recurrence of this in the future. THE REPORT. In his report to the board, Mi Kennedy said:— “Your instructions to report on matters connected with the recent flood were duly received early on the sth instant. Later on in the day with Mr Armour and Mr Burlingham, both of whom were acquainted with the circumstances, 1 inspected the school property and the immediate locality.

“Th© flood waters had reached a record level anti had flooded on to the block from a different direction to previous floods, coming not directly from the river but from an overflow channel at the South-western end of the ‘Awatoto Block,’ and, flowing along the beach, overtopped the strip of Harbour Board land prepared for subdivision and thus reached your board's property, subsequently attaining such a height that the earth work at the back of the timber dam was partly washed away. Very little water came from any other direction, though the embankment, from the dam to the river, was endangered; the flood just overlapped it at the eastern end but left it well clear near the river. “As <my instructions were to put in hand at once any repairs necessary to restore the protective works to their previous position, it was decided to at once replace the earth backing on the dam. 1 conferred with Mr Burlingham and arranged with him to make an immediate start and as material obtainable in the block was unsuitable and difficult to obtain, we decided to fill in with clay which Mr Morse kindly supplied gratis. The Public Works Department being interested I conferred with Mr F. N. Thompson and at his suggestion decided to mix the clay filling with 50 per cent of shingle which will reduce the cost and improve its efficiency. Mr Thompson and 1 agreed as to the causes of the flood and probable future happenings. LEVELS AT BRIDGES. “On Saturday, previous to the damage being done, I visited the Waitangi, the Meeanee and Redcliffe bridges and noticed that th© water levels (at midday) were relatively very different from those of the preceding floods that have occurred (during the last 50 years) the difference being that whilst the river at Redcliffe was only in half flood and very little water was escaping by the Waitangi the water level at the Meeanee bridge was up to the deck and as high as it ever was, even during the biggest flood“I subsequently visited the various overflows, outlets and channels, and am of the opinion that the very high levels of the river at and below* the Meeanee bridge and the flooding of your property were caused by the very much lengthened course of the river owing to its diversion under the railway bridge and road embankment bridge. This matter was fully dealth with in my report dated November 14, 1924.

“In addition to the repairs to the earthwork at the dam, it will be necessary to raise and strengthen the embankment towards the river, commencing at a height of two feet at the dam and diminishing to six inches at the river bank, the embankment nt the north end of the Harbour Board’s ‘strip’ must be strengthened and continued across the road and the bank along the channel on the west side must be raised and strengthened as far as the dam. This the Harbour Board will probably undertake as it protects their land and that of its tenants below. WHAT CAUSED THE DAMAGE.

“Owing to the rising of the river bed causing the flood waters to reach an extraordinary height below Meeanee bridge, a very large quantity of water is forced through the overflow before mentioned. “This is what caused the damage and it will be a serious menace in future. Tn mv opinion it should

be blocked or partly so until the Harbour Board has made provision for the safe holding and discharge of the flood waters thus brought on to the block. “The question then arises:—Will these suggested works make the High School property safe and free from flood? My opinion is. if the Rivers Board does i not divert the river and the Harbour Board does not open a proper channel, or close its overflow channel, that they may not do so permanently, but will afford safe protection from the next flood.

-‘The river bed is rapidly rising and is assisted by the outlet now discharging over a very much larger expanse of mud flats. “It may be some consolation to know that owing to the contraction of the channel and the flood level rising to such a height, the time is approaching when the river will be forced to flow in some other direction.

• Lt is not fitting, nor do 1 wish, to criticise the river schemes in con templation. They are on sound lines and vary only slightly from what has been suggested for the last 30 years, but 1 would like to take this opportunity of mentioning two precautionary works which snould be carried out as an insurance against a much greater disaster than any that has yet occurred: —These are the maintenance of a weak spot in the beach opposite The Washout as an emergency outlet, and the strengthening of tiie Awatoto-Meeanee bank so as to make it secure beyond any doubt whatever.”