“ALL NONSENSE”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26748, 17 April 1948, Page 6

“ALL NONSENSE”

INUNDATION OF TOWNS POSSIBLE RESULT OF POWER PROJECT ASSURANCE FROM MINISTER Special to the Daily Times QUEENSTOWN, Apl. 16. “All this talk about towns, being inundated is nonsense. There is no question of that happening,’’ said the Minister of Works, Mr Semple, replying at Queenstown to-night to a deputation from the Lakes County Council which expressed fears that extensive areas round Lakes Wanaka and Wakatipu would be flooded by the proposed control schemes associated with the Roxburgh gorge power project. . . , The deputation, which comprised Messrs W. A. McLean, deputy chairman, and H. A. Vezey, engineer, asked for an assurance from the Minister that all other possibilities would oe considered before the control works were undertaken. Problems Investigated The Minister said he had spent the past tv/o days investigating the problems with which the deputation was concerned. He could assure them that the schemes would involve the least amount of damage to property and loss of land. , ~ ~ At Wanaka, Mr Semple said, the lake would be raised about 10ft to Bft below the 1878 flood level. Some people had foolishly built below this level, but they would receive compensation, as would owners of lowlying farms round the lake. As far as Lake Wakatipu was concerned, there would be no encroachment because only a very small rise was wanted m the lake. . , , “There is no escaping these facts and there' is no chance of the Roxburgh Gorge scheme—which will make Central Otago—unless we control the lakes,” said Mr Semple. “ Without water storage in Lakes Hawea, Wanaka and Wakatipu we could not get much more than 100,000 k.w. from the gorge instead of the 320,000 k.w. proposed, and it would not pay us to have this small scheme. With the control of the lakes and the powerhouse and dam, this scheme is going to cost £11,000,000, so you can see it is nothing to be trifled with. Flood Control Aspect “Just as important as the power development is the flood control aspect of the scheme,” Mr Semple added. “We will be able to control the river and there will be.no more disastrous floods for Balclutha and Kaitangata.” . . , . . This morning, the Minister visited the proposed sites of the Wanaka barrier just above the Albert Town bridge and about five miles from the lake outlet. The barrier will be an earth-filled structure about 1000 feet long and 30 feet high. Mr Semple also saw flat land near the Wanaka township where 12 houses, built on or near the 1878 flood level may have to bt moved.