WORK OF FLOOD PROTECTION

Hokitika Guardian, 11 August 1930, Page 7

WORK OF FLOOD PROTECTION

WAIRAU river board. OBJECTIONS DISMISSED BY COURT.' WELLINGTON, August 8. Judgment was given this morning by the Court of Appeal in the case of the Attorney-General and others versus the Wairau River Board. The appeal was dismissed. The Attorney-General, the Wairau Harbour Board and T. Eckford and Co., Ltd., were the appellants and the Wairau River Board respondents. The appellants, in February, issued a writ claiming an injunction restraining the respondent board from prosecuting certain flood protective works in connection with the Wairau and Opawa Rivers, and in the area under the jurisdiction of respondents, also claiming a mandatory injunction requiring it to remove such works as had been already completed. They allege that, as a consequence of the said works, the navigable channel of the Wairau and Opawa Rivers, which led to Blenheim, was being caused to silt up, the volume of water therein lessened, and the navigation of the rivers and the use of the port or Wairau interfered with; further, that the port of Wairau would become wholly useless, appellant board would lose its revenues and appellant company would be unable to navigate the rivers with its ships and carry on trading with Blenheim. The respondent board denied that its works would have the effect alleged by appellants. The case came on for hearing before .Mr Justice Reed in March last and by arrangement t.he legal question of whether or not respondent board had power to erevt flood works in the Wairau IT nr hour Board district was argued. The judge held that it had, and the appellants appealed from that decision. For the appellants, Mr Gressor, and Mr A. 0. Natlinm appeared,/ and for respondent Mr 11. Johnston, K.C.. and Mr Churchward,