“NORTHLAND FIRST" MONDAY, JULY 24, 1939. Prevention Of Flooding

Northern Advocate, 24 July 1939, Page 4

“NORTHLAND FIRST"

MONDAY, JULY 24, 1939. Prevention Of Flooding

Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper

THE ratepayers of Whangarei are proud of their town, which is justly recognised by visitors and others in a position to speak with authority to be one of the most important provincial centres and one destined to occupy a leading position in the Dominion in the years to come. It rests almost entirely with the ratepayers whether Whangarei shall reach its goal quickly, or merely by a long course of gradual progress. Nature has done much for both Whangarei and Northland, but, as it is only by perseverance that perfection in any aspect of life can be accomplished, so it is true that the development of any community depends upon the extent to which units of the community realise their opportunity and strive to make the most of it. „ . ~ , This thought should animate all ratepayers m the borough of Whangarei when they give consideration to the very comprehensive scheme that has been evolved for the prevention of stormwater flooding, which has damaged the reputation of the town and inflicted personal inconvenience and financial loss upon a large number of Whangarei inhabitants. This flooding has followed upon unusually heavy rainfall and has been caused by the inadequacy of existing channels to cope with the sudden and abnormal demands made upon them. As we pointed out, when referring to this matter on Thursday last, the inadequacy of the means for carrying away stormwater as quickly as it assembles is mainly due to the fact that old-time channels, which once were sufficient to prevent flooding, have been filled in by the builders of the town as it exists to-day. The truth of this can be demonstrated by observations both in the residential area and the business quarter. As a consequence of this filling in of water channels, as well as the building of bridges over, and the placing of various obstacles in, streams, stormwaters have been unable to follow their old-time course. REMOVAL OF DANGER Insofar as the upper part of the town is concerned, the impounded stormwaters, taking the line of least resistance, have overflowed large areas and then poured down Bank Street like a roaring torrent, while waters from the Waiarohia and Kaumanga Streams, blocked as they have been by bridges, building of walls and growth of willows, have accentuated the flooding of the lower-lying portion of the business area. These visitations have seriously injured the prestige of the town, apart altogether from inflicting material loss upon business people and others. It is unnecessary to stress this matter, which is fresh in the public mind, but we hope that ratepayers will seize the opportunity now presented for ending the flooding menace, removing the threat to public health, and the building of bridges and culverts. All these ends may be achieved, competent engineers declare, by the adoption of the scheme accepted by the Borough Council after obtaining the approval of the Public Works Department and the Loans Board, which may be regarded as guaranteeing the effectiveness of the plan. The cost of this scheme has been estimated at £33,630, and the ratepayers are required to say on Wednesday whether or not they wish a loan of that amount to be raised. Ratepayers who wish to assist in building - a better Whangarei, protected against stormwater flooding and the continuance of a menace to health by the state of some sewers will, it is hoped, support the loan proposal when they go to the ballot box.

COM MONSENSE SCHEME The scheme submitted is one which must appeal to even the layman who knows nothing about hydraulics and civil engineering generally. As has been explained in a pamphlet couched in simple and understandable language, the residential areas north of Donald Street have been divided into five separate drainage areas, each of which will be more or less self-contained, and will have’its own “cut-off” drain leading directly to either the Waiarohia Stream or the Hatea River. These “cut-offs” will catch the stormwater in each particular area and divert it to the right or left as the case may be, the Waiarohia and the Hatea thus carrying away the waters which, in the past, accumulated until they have overflowed into Bank Street and the business Ratepayers who have perused carefully the details of the schemes in each of the five areas in the residential part of the town will realise the comraonsense, as well as the comprehensive, nature of the proposed work. The Hatea and the Waiarohia will take the place of Bank Street as a channel for the flood waters. Who is there but will welcome such a wise precaution ? The same thing applies to the provision for carrying away storm water from the Kauika Road, Central Avenue and MorningsideAnzac Road areas, new drains being devised to cope with much of the flood water which flows on to the Ipw-lying land below Leith Street.

COMPREHENSIVE SCOPE A comprehensive plan has been prepared for dealing with the sewer overloading which constitutes a menace to public health. This overloading is due to infiltration of ground water through poor joints and cracked pipes, the drainage of roof water directly into the sewerage system, and floodwater entering over gully-traps. The four most seriously affected areas are from Wrack Street to Kensington Avenue, Maunu Road (south side), Morningside Road and Lower Cameron Street, and the lower business area. Other important sewer modification work will be done in Hoey’s orchard and at the septic tank, where some 1,300 feet of the main intercepting sewer will be relaid, it being badly cracked and out of alignment. These are all undertakings of an urgent nature and should not be longer delayed. The borough engineer has gone very closely into the question of cost, and his tabulation of the various details of the proposed scheme, with the estimated expenditure upon each section, should have made every ratepayer fully aware of the extent and possibilities of the whole scheme. It is interesting to note that of the total cost £23,383 will be spent on materials and £10,247 on. labour. In view of the great assets which will be constituted by the improvements to be effected, plus the community value of the employment of a large body of men to do the work, the loan proposal has everything to commend it. The cost to individual ratepayers in the residential areas works out, on the average, to only approximately threepence per week. This, we think it will be conceded, is an infinitesimal sum when so great a benefit to the town is to be secured. To help to build a better Whangarei is a task to which all ratepayers may well be pleased to address themselves. Progressive ratepayers who have the privilege of being able to determine what improvements shall or shall not be effected in their town, will therefore be pleased to have opportunity on Wednesday of ridding Whangarei for all time of the stormwater and sewer menaces which have retarded progress and disturbed the convenience, comfort and peace of mind of its citizens.