RIVER EROSION

Hokitika Guardian, 11 November 1936, Page 3

RIVER EROSION

GOVERNMENT AID SOUGHT. MR. J. O’BRIEN MEETS COUNCIL. A considerable portion of the time at ', the meeting of the Westland County Council yesterday was devoted to dis-| cussing the question of river erosion as it affected the County consequent upon the continhed menace in the KoL terarigi and Arahura districts. The question was considered by the Countil first, and was later raised again upon the arrival of Mr Jas. O’Brien,. M.P., who heard the Council’s representations, and promised to do what lie coiild to secure Government assistance. Prior to his arrival, the question was first raised when a letter was read from 1 the District Engineer regarding Arahura river protection, and promisihg to make recommendations when aer'al survey photographs were available. Mr D. J. Evans (County Clerk) said Mr Trevor Smith had not yet received the aerial survey. Cr. B. Ward said that, accompanied by Mr O’Brien, M.P., and settlers, hie | went over the area that morning. The Minister promised months ago to for- * ward a report which had not yet been received. They were awaiting the sur-' vey, and at present lie thought they would just have, to await developments. | The Clerk said the engineer estimated the damage at £370, and authority had been received to go aherd with the work to the extent of .£250.' of which the department would fiqd half. Cr. J. A. jMurdoch recommended the adoption of the new system of spodpirig the river-bed, which had been proved successful elsewhere, especially iin the' Hokitika river. He thought an e: pen-' inept should be made at Arahura, or Hokitika. In doing so they would be aided by Nature. If they could scoop out the deposit at a danger point, and leave the water in a deeper channel, it would be advantageous. Cr. Ward said he would not confine the workiug to scooping by the machine used in the Hokitika river, but would employ a similar machine, thereby providing an object lesson. i Cr. W. A. Jamieson said he thought such treatment would have good results at Kokatkhi. . . I Cr. J. Donovan also thought Cr. I Murdoch had .hit on the right method. If a success, it might lead to much useful work throughput Westland,- ; , Cr. N. H. Brown said there , were) several methods of river control, but owing to varying conditions, no. an'versal method could be adopted. He. h d no doubt however that the method proposed could be used to ( {jtdy.antage in the Arahura river. He thought the Council might also consider the us« i of the drag-line scoop as one way of dealing with river-control. Cr. Dale also agreed with the proposals, , . f ,. , ■: . Mr Evans said the engineer was-con-ferring with Mr O’Brien to-day on the matter. ' Cr. Murdoch considered they,, should spbinit , the proposal tc the Public Works Department;. ~ v . ’

, The position at Kokatahi, was considered vvhen the Council received a petition signed by 50 ratepayers of the Koiterangi district asked the Council to set up a special rating area to raise a loan to construct and Maintain suitable protection works to effectively block the overflow threatening the Camel back road and the Koiterangi district. Mr. Jamieson outlined what bad been done in the past to check erosion, and detailed the effects of the recent flood. The position was getting worse after each flood, and the settlers, realising: that, held a special meeting last week, when they reviewed the position. They were prepared to do their hi —to rate themselves—in an effort to . arrive at some solution, .With another flood, there was nothing to prevent the whole district being flooded with , the accompanying loss of thousands and thousands of pounds. k. ; ; . Mr Evaiis said that Mr Trevor Smith, the District Engineer, who was present at that meeting, said, he was very agreeably surprised at £he,, extent, to which they were preparedfb help themselves. ... " • V ■ „•, The. Chairman , said quite valuable land was being lost through erosion. He thought the settlers were to be congratulated on the attitude they - had taken; , . .. , •• \ f Mr Evans said, the County Engineer’s estimate of the cost to construct protection works , was about £ISOO, of which the Government would find a portion. , ,Cr. Jamieson thought they would get a lot. of assistance from the GovernInent in view of the property and highways endangered.., ~ , ... Cr. Ward said the Prime , Minister had .stated that there was no fund available, hut the amount could be raised .by, special, loan. Possibly, ni this case, better terms might he obtained by such a loan. Upon,|iis arrival, Mr O’Brien rqdeived a cordial ■ welcome from th? members. The Chairmap ; said he had pleasure in extending a welcome. Mr O’Brien, had been visiting the Arahura, Kokatahi and Koiterangi districts,, ; which was quite typical of, him, a s .he had a. great capacity for getting to know - things first hand. ... ■ . ;.

Mr O’Brien said it was part of his job to get to know things first hand which wa» for better than, having .situations described on paper. River erosion had occurred in different, places in the district, and for the important nec r essnry works money would have to bo found. ' It was. a difficult, question, at which people looked askance. If nothing wore done to relieve the situation, life-time work would go. Cr. Murdoch said a situation of ;rn-

pending disaster prevailed, through the c Arahura rivei' taking &\CQtir|e higher l than the ley el of the adjoining land. It had been asked that day whether a ; drag-line scoop would have more effect j ' than ,steam or. petrol digging dshov'els. j I Mr O’Brien said he had s(?dn the j ! Arahura. settlement .iii four or fiveplaces that day. The position; ; seemed f Ito be that the bed of the river had , risen, to; the detriment of the stir- j rounding country. Stop banks would . hardly do as they often defeated the. , object for which they were installed. He thought the system of planking and. ( 1 piling, as. had been" done with the Otira and Hutt rivers, was..the best idea, raising the bank to a considerable height above the usual .level, and directing the river in the course in which it was desired to run. 1 Very little could he done at Arahura. Patching might help- for the time being, blit a, lasting job would re--1 quire a .comprehensive survey throughout, and it would he a vsry expensive scheme. ~lf a passage were scooped the river might not always follow that ! course. He suggested the survey be 'made and an estimate obtained of the ! cost. . The Koiterangi district,, lie said. ' hr 4' * all the elements of a disaster, and. lie 1 suggested something should lie done 'straight away. It was quite probable the river would come down again. I River erosion was one of the major .problems of Westland. He understood the ratepayers pf Koiterangi. weye,prepared. to rate thepiselyes, avid that being the case, the Government would help. The stopbank, theye should he gone on with. <• ; I Representations vMer a scheme i-for I Arahura, continued Mr would i hard f to ; bebnlade ; thr'ougb the, Lands . and: ‘Nati'teflxDepiartments, but the- replfirts>tby,:"engincers;' w6uld have to be unaminoifs’ before one' could get anywhere'. Frequently he bad found reports 1 contradictriry, but he did -sot think this would he the case on the ’ Kokatahi-Koiterangi ’situation. The settlers Were to be congratulated on the manner in which they were ready to help themselves. It would assist Rim if the Council could arrive, at an estimate of the sum required, gild the amount for which Government aid was sought. | Crs. Ward and Jamieson thanked Mr O’Brien for what lie had donji, add ing that by his visit he had gained a. good idea of the situation. - , I v’N 1 . V'- ! Cr. Ward referred to the 'report promised months ago by the Minister on the position at Arahura, ,bji,tj which liad nut yet come to hand;. . ( He , asked Mr O’Brien if he coiild expedite this, the latter saving he would ,do. what-lie could, and would get in "touch with the 1 Minister immediately, , He did • not-' think the aerial survey would be suffi- ‘ -—* —•. ‘~ I

cient, a’s the-actual work would have to be planned-from the bank. 'Cr. Jaiiiieson said the time had come when something should be done regarding river erosion in Westland, whero it was more-serious than anywhere else in New Zealand. At present some of the best land in the district was being swept away.- He knew the Government Had other major problems, , but he hoped it would give greater attention to this .big question than in the • past. The position at Koiterangi had become worse with each flood until today the situation was desperate. The district to-day was in danger of being overrun by the river which would be 1 a disaster. He hoped that whatever was done would be carried out immediately. On examining the Koiterangi ratepayers’ reonest, for a"rate, it was re- • vealetl it Would yield approximately ' £7so| for which the Council would bold ! itself responsible toward the work, so Mr O’Brien said he would ask the Oov--5 eminent for a £. for £ subsidy. This was something definite, and it meant J the work could he started almost straight away when approval wa s re- | reived. The Council could then rate ? the Koiterangi district as Required. ? After further discuss,ion concerning the merits of the scoop in the Arahura liver it was decided to carry out a test job, estimated to cost £303, of 1 which the Council would find £lO3, and ' the. settlers £SO, and the Government the remainder. The locality will be 1 left to the Engineer. Mr Murdoch ; asked Mr O’Brien if the Government would consent to an object lesson being ' thus given, the latter replying that I- . ' <

any reasonable scheme or experiment would be regarded favourably. ‘ i think tins district is very much in need of a river engineer who couid study this problem, and offer a definite scheme tor its solution, ’ added Air O’Brien. i The Council also agreed to find £2OO for protection work at Kakopptahi, if the Government would subsidise it £, for £. 1 Mr O’Brien was accorded a very warm vote of thanks for his services to the' district, especially in connection j with the question of river erosion. j I „ =