Meeanee Flood Menace

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 63, 24 February 1934, Page 8

Meeanee Flood Menace

(To the Editor). Sir,—Both “Unbiassed” and “M” appear to be much more concerned in justifying the action of the Rivers Board in leaving Meeanee open to flood than they are about the disaster that has just happened to us, and both evaded the main questions set out in my letter. It is certainly something lor the Meeanee people to know that “Unbiassed” extends his sympallii but the instance of flooding he refers to in which a river changed its course has nr bearing whatever on our position.

“Unbiassed” again stresses the need for outfall works but the mouth is there already and functioned well during the last flood. Surely he does not think that the question of an adequate outlet has not been provided in the board’s scheme which has the approval of the Public Works Department. He raises certain engineering questions which 1 must confess not being an engineer I cannot answer being willing, however, to leave that to those who have examined the diversion proposals and approved of them. “Unbiassed” asks if I can inform him as to when the board considered and finalised certain works in connection with this scheme. Well I can only refer him to your files in which he will find detailed reports dealing with the whole of the work which has been adopted by the board and approved by Parliament. The matter has had the widest publicity over a very long period having been the subject ot many lengthy discussions at meetings of the Rivers Board. It is a pity that “Unbiassed” did not attend the meeting of settlers at Meeanee on Tuesday night when he would have realised the plight that the settlers are in as the result of flooding from an obsolete channel. He asks if I was living on a low area would I start a diversion scheme of such magnitude without providing an outfall. Docs “Unbiassed” not know that we have practically no outlet for the old river which is a position that was amply demonstrated to our misfortune last week and which has since been admitted by the chairman of the board.

If we could have prevented the breach occurring at Meeanee the water would have been over the Richmond Block at the end of the plantation at Mr. Lannings’ place where the Harbour Board had their men working to •top it. The water was actually overflowing at this point before the bank at Meeanee went Had our bank held intact it is not hard to imagine what would have happened to Richmond Block. The settlers there would have got the water that we did at Meeanee. “M” in his efforts to defend the action ot Mr. Macdonald in opposing the closing of the old channel states that below Redclyffe the river from bank to bank is over thirty chains in width narrowing to only eight at Peddie’s Bend. He states that thirty into eight won’t go, well I can use that argument too. The waterway in the old channel is under two chains in width so eight into two won’t go either. He pictures a disaster which if it occurred Meeanee would have something to cry out about. What does he think then of what happened to us in May last and again last week? With the progressive improvements carried out since the earthquake largely as the result of pressure by Mr. Jarvis the carrying capacity of the diversion channel has been greatly in-

creased while the old channel hajs fallen into disuse.

Sir, we at Meeanee were all very interested in what the chairman oi the board had to say at the meeting on I’unsday night about compensation which I notice was to be all for the other fellow and none for those who got flooded at Meeanee. Air. Lassen stressed compensation for those on the south side in case they got flooded, but he did not seem at all sympathetic to the settler who placed before the meeting the plight she was now in a* the result of her losses. Her claim is bound to lie backed up through the board not carrying out the recommendation of the engineer some month* ago to close the old channel. Mr. Macdonald told us how he had always tried to be fair but he didn’t say anything about the deputation which was compelled to wait upon him and demand that he follow out the wishes of those who had elected him: For sixteen years Mr. Jarvis ha* fought for the safety of Meeanee and Papakura and because the work which he has striven to have carried out ha* been taken out of his hands other* need not think that they are going to deprive him of what is a just credit. The settlers know only too well what has been going on and know who i* entitled to their thanks.—l am, etc., E. LIMBRICK. Meeanee, Feb. 23..