HIKURANGI SWAMP AREA.

Northern Advocate, 11 July 1936, Page 9

HIKURANGI SWAMP AREA.

To the Editor. Sir.—l should like, with your kind permission, to refer to some statements made by some of the persons who attended the meeting held at Jordan on Wednesday to discuss with the Hon. R. Semple the completion of the Hikurangi swamp drainage scheme. One speaker said that the drainage works seemed to become a form of mild diversion and recreation to relieve the dreary lot of the authorities, and concluded his comment with the following statement:— “Considering that the area was a tableland, 250 feet above sea level, it was hard to understand miscalculations made by the engineers and that the work was not effective. The blame might be due, not so much to the engineers as to political or other considerations.” I consider this, sir, to be unfair comment, not only in respect to the engineers in charge of the undertaking, but to the Government department by whom they were employed. I don’t know how much above sea level the swamp is, but I

don’t consider that it should be described as a tableland. The position, as I uderstand it, with a knowledge acquired during 48 years on the outskirts of this delectable home of frogs, eels and wild ducks, is that it has an enormous catchment area, that the whole of the excess rainfall has to get away to the Wairoa via the Wairua River, a sluggish, tortuous stream, which, for the greater portion of its length, has a fall of very few inches per mine. From Lewis’ bridge to the outfall, the water is confined to the river on account of its traversing high country, and the consensus of opinion expressed at the abovementioned meeting was that the river should be widened, etc., to allow the water to get away more quickly. This would doubtless be a slight improvement, but I am as certain as I am that the sun will rise tomorrow morning, that even if Lewis’ bridge was made twice its present length, and the river twice its present width, given half the rainfall which caused the enormous flood of last February there woulcl be a flood, and not a small one either. Instead of making sarcastic and derogatory remarks respecting the engineers who had charge of operations in the area, it should, I consider, be realised that owing to the very large catchment area, the absence of fall, the impossibility of deepening the river on account of the rotten slushy ground slipping, etc., they were up against an extremely difficult, if not impossible proposition. This swamp will always flood, sir, given heavy rain; it will never be suitable for dairying or residential sites. No one should erect a milking shed or a house on it, and it should only be made use of by persons who have high land to which stock can be moved at times of floods. This is my considered opinion, and I claim to be qualified to express it. Two of the speakers at the meeting, Messrs Nuthall and Holmwood, appear to me to have just cause for complaint, as they had no previous knowledge of the district, and probably considered that the land was immune from floods. It is a pity they did not ascertain the true position from some of the settlers residing either at Apotu or Tanekaha. There are several who would have told them what they would have to contend with. I am, etc.. F. ELLIOTT. Tanekaha.