WAIMEA RIVERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 22 June 1937, Page 4

WAIMEA RIVERS

FLOODING OF HIGHWAYS • INVESTIGATION BY PUBLIC WORKS SOME TIME BEFORE WORK FINALISED The flooding of rivers on the Waimea Plain has been the subject of repeated representations to the Government. On behalf of a special committee in the Waimeas, the Waimea County Council and individuals interested who have from time to time approached Mr K. J. Holyoake, M P., on the matter, a further request for something to be done was made to the Public Works Department. Mr Holyoake has received the following reply from the Department:— “In reply to your letter I have to advise that the Waimea river and its tributaries, the Wairoa and the Waiiti, cross the plain in shallow courses which can accommodate moderate floods, but no large ones. The slope of the plain is between 1 in 200 and 1 in 250, so that flood waters leaving the main channels are able to find their way freely across the plain. The rive~s referred to have given trouble, including blocking the State highways, and requests and representations have bee.a made from time to time both by individuals and by local bodies for assistance of various kinds. “The Department, therefore, eventually put in hand a complete survey investigation of the rivers with a view to deciding what methods of control should be adopted. The field work of this investigation has been practically completed and the plans are in hand. “Owing to pressure of other work it will possibly be some little time before they are finalised. “Two floods of unusual severity have occurred in the Wai-iti, and the matter of flooding has been forcibly brought home to some of the Waimea West farmers which has resulted in putting their particular case before the Government. Others on the east bank hearing of this have decided to put up their case also. lam in receipt of several letters from various parties concerned. “You will quite understand, I think, that individual banking without any predetermined comprehensive scheme is ineffectual, and leads to considerable difficulty and feeling among the. parties involved. “My engineers advise me that no satisfactory recommendation for the complete elimination of flooding can be made until the present investigations have been completed. It may, however, be possible to do a certain amount of stop-banking in the very-low places, provided these can be incorporated in a major scheme of stopbanking to be put in hand later, and this phase of the matter is being specially considered in the plans now being prepared.”