LOWER WAIRAU RIVER BOARD.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 58, 4 March 1909, Page 7

LOWER WAIRAU RIVER BOARD.

The Lower Wairau 'River Board met last evening in the Institute, when there were present: Messrs F. Adams {Chairman), A. McKay, A. McCallum, B. Parker and W. Carr.

HIGH RENTAL. | The question of Mr,Hume, occupier -of Section 111, Waihopai Survey District, desiring to surrender Ms tenure owing to the rental he paid being considered excessive, was brought up. The Chairman said there had been no suggestion from Mr Hum© that lie was paying t-qo much for the place. 'Mr MoKay said Mr Hume had not said that he was paying more for the place than it was worth. He (Mr McKay) knew, however, that Mr Hume had got hold of something that he wished to drop. \ It was considered advisable to defer any discussion on the question until members of the Board had paid a visit to the locality. It was decided that members of the Board visit Mr Hume's place on Thursday, March 11. CORRESPONDENCE. The Secretary of the Wairau Road Board wrote requesting the River Board to repair the bank and plant willows on the Delta Flat near Mr Condor's, at which place the river is making a channel of the road. It was also pointed out in the letter that the work should be attended to as soon as possible, for if it is not the Wairau River might flow into Gibson's Greek. Ifc1 was proposed by the Chairman, and seconded by Mr McKay: "That the Wairau Road Board be written to and informed that members of the River Board would be visiting that locality on Thursday, March 11th, and that the Chairman of the Road Board be asked to accompany them." —Carried. INSPECTOR'S REPORT. The Board's Inspector, Mr D. Greig, reported that he had inspected the Waihopai and Wairau river banks last week, and found very little difference in their condition when the Board visited them last. Near Mr Ckmdor's was the only place where the- river was working in, and was getting close to the road, but was doing no damage. The willows from the junction of the Omaka and Opawa Rivers to Rose's Overflow for a distance of about 1-2- miles on. both sides would cost about £1 per chain, and for about six miles along the Omaka River to Morgan's Creek 3s per chain. There were three lowplaces on the bank near the Bank Section, caused by stock crossing over, which require repairing. With regard to the cutting of the willows, the Chairman and Mr Carr opined that the work was a matter for the Wairau Harbour Board to attend to, and it was agreed that the Board be written to concerning the cutting of them. It was resolved that three crossings for cattle be constructed near the Bank Section. The report was adopted. A DEPUTATION. A deputation; from the Blenheim Borough Council, consisting of Councillors Griffiths, Ching, Macey and McKinley, waited upon the Board for the purpose of gaining that body's consent to construct a public street along the bank of the Omaka River from Alfred Street to High Street east. Mr Griffiths, on behalf of the deputation, .said they desired to conserve the work that had already been done to the bank between the two streets. The Council had no desire to do anything when forming the street that the Board would not approve of. Nothing would be done .that would an any way endanger the town. He pointed out that when the work was first commenced the Council had no idea that the Eoard would raise any objection to it. The Council had l never had any intention of slighting ■ the Board, and any feeling that might have existed between the bodies he •hoped would be dropped. The Council proposed to cut away the bank l and reduce its height by 18 inches but to counter-balance anything that was removed from. the bank a concrete wall about a foot in thickness and higher than the present "bank would be erected. As far as the bank was concerned, the work to be carried out by the Council would be as strong, if not stronger, than the place was now. The suggested street would be made from the top of the concrete wall. He was perfectly sure that the wall would not weaken the bank in any way whatever, nor would it reduce the waterway. The stream was about Bft. narrower on the northern side than it was where it was proposed to do the work. Of course, the Council desired to impress upon the River

Board the fact that the Council was not setting itself up against the Board as experts. It wanted to conserve the town and guard it from invasion by floods, and also to utilise the section of land it owned, which fronted the proposed street. Until the street • was formed the section could not be let. He wanted the Board to take into consideration the value the ground would be to the Borough if it granted permission to the Council to complete its scheme. Councillor Ching said the Council had no intention of interfering with or doing away with the present culvert through the embankment. Cr. McKinley said that the other members of the deputation had omitted to mention that the Council intended to construct a footpath on the river side next to the wall, which he thought would materially strengthen it.

The Chairman asked if the- Council had made any provision in the event of an erosion.

Cr, Griffiths replied that every precantion would be taken to conserve and protect the town. Mr McKay wanted to know if it would not be better'for the Council to form the road on its own land, in place of cutting into the wall. The proposed street would not take such a very great piece of ground, and his suggestion would do away with a great deal, of trouble and expense. He suggested that before any definite decision was arrived at that the Board as a whole visit the site with the members of the Borough Council, when they would be able to ascertain the bona fides or otherwise of the Council's application. Ifc would be unwise to decide one way or the other at the meeting, without even, a plan of the proposed alterations to guide them. He moved that the Board as a whole meet the Borough Council at 2.30 next afternoon and visit the place in question. Cr. Griffiths pointed out that the Council would lose the value of the ground taken for the street if MiMcKay's suggestion was carried out, and they wanted to avoid that. Mr Carr was of the opinion that the deputation should havq submitted a drawn plan of the work it intended to carry out. He could not, however, see the necessity for the street. The, land owned by the Council was accessible by three streets, and he thought that should be sufficient. The street would benefit a few private individuals and a syndicate, it would not be of any value to the town. If they wanted the street why di.l they not make it without coming to the Board ? At the outset the Council considered the affair as a very trifling one, and they, were going to carry it through with a high, hand, but now they came to the Board in a palavering manner,' which was ridiculous. Anyhow, the Board had had enough of concrete walls. Mr McCallum said the Chairman should have called Mr Carr to order when he did not second the motion, as he was entirely out of order. He (Mr McCallum) seconded the motion, and in doing so said if a plan had* been submitted by the deputation the Board would have been able to see the Council's 'reason for desiring tc take possession of the land. He could not see,, however, the necessity for putting them to the expense of drawing up plans until it was known whether the work could be proceeded with.

Cr. Ching asked whether the Board was aware that the bank was originally a public street, and that- the Board was permitted to construct the wall on it. He did not think the Council had foregone its right to the street.

The Chairman, in reply, stated that the Board knew well enough the position of the top of the bank, as far as its being a public street was concerned. They all knew what a great deal of trouble the Board had experienced in connection with all the banks that had been constructed. The duty of the Board was to conserve the town and prevent works being carried out which would detrimentally affect it. The Board should be strongly censured i? it peimitted such works to be put into effect. It was their duty to safeguard the ratepayers on the town side of thu bank. He would suggest to the deputation that the Council make the street on the top of the embankment as it now stood. He would support the Council m the formation of the street in that way. Such a street would not weaken the bank, and would be consistently in the interests of the ratepayers. Cr. Ching asked if it was not a fact that the past experience of tho Board in flood time had been that the water went over the top of the wall before the bank gave out? The Chairman said Cr. Ching was wrong, as the banks had gone before the water had reached the top. Mr McKay said the matter lesolved itself into one of two questions: Whether it would be good policy to risk the interests of the ratepayers and give the concession, asked for, or to refuse the application for power to coinstruct a new street on a site that already had frontage to three streets, and thus run no risk.

Without any further discussion the motion was carried, and the deputation departed.

ACCOUNTS

Accounts amounting' to £113 Is 5d pere passed for payment, and the Board rose.