FLOOD DAMAGE SUBSIDY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19624, 7 May 1938, Page 4

FLOOD DAMAGE SUBSIDY

£1 FOR £1 EASIS ADVICE FROM MINISTER COOK COUNTY’S LOSS Advice has been received by the Cook County Council from the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, that February flood damage will be subsidised on a basis of £1 for £l.

Following representations made by the council, the Minister has telegraphed:—“The Government is prepared to give a grant of £1920, £1 for £l, for general damage sustained during the February floods, and another of £I2OO, £1 for £l, for the new Waimata bridge.”

The official estimate of damage in the county from the February floods was £6250. The estimate for the more recent damage has not been completed yet, but it seems certain that the total for the three floods will run into five figures.

Executive officers of tL e council stated to-day that in common with most other localities in the district, the Cook County had been subjected to a considerable amount of damage as a result of the torrential rain on Wednesday last. Position Aggravated.

The February flood left in its trail a good deal of damage which in many instances had been cleaned up before the Anzac Day week-end,, when the second flood was experienced. The third downpour on Wednesday only served to further aggravate the whole position, which from the point of view of backblock settlers, to say the least, was very inconvenient and disagreeable. After Anzac Day permission ' was received from the Minister of Labour to utilise men employed by the council on scheme No. 13 to assist to repair the flood damage. These men had been utilised by running them in lorry loads to the various points, but beyond a radius of 30 miles fiom Gisborne too much time was lost in travelling to enable the men to make p really good showing. The men themselves were all working exceptiohally well, and appreciated the difficulties that the settlers were in.

In addition to the No. 13 scheme men, the council had been utilising all the modern equipment available, and was making marked progress. However, the damage was so widespread throughout the East Coast that it was only by sharing plant of that nature amongst the various local bodies that isolated settlers could hope to have any form of access within the next year. Good Work by Men. The council’s permanent men were giving Trojan service, and appreciated the problems with which the council was faced.

The council had a big programme to face financially to meet the situation. Possibly not during the last century had Poverty Bay had such an attack from the elements.

Government assistance, naturally, was anticipated in such disastrous occasions as those of recent months, but it was to the council itself that ratepayers looked for the solution of their many problems of access and drainage which confronted them, particularly at such times as these. While last year’s rate made a heavy drain on the resources of the farmers, the council was now in a position to carry out a definite forward policy to relieve the damaged state of the roads, without the prospect of. any further increase in the rate during <.he coming year.