HARBOUR CONTROL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19667, 27 June 1938, Page 3

HARBOUR CONTROL

GISBORNE AUTHORITY SHORT .MEETING HKU) DIVERSION WALL EROSION To-day's monthly meeting of the Gisborne Harbour Board was brief, only a few items of correspondence being placed before members, with the usual committee and departmental reports. 'Pile erosion caused at lhe end of the western diversion wall, following upon the April flooding in the Waimata River, was referred to in the report of the works committee and secret ary-manager, which indicated that the damage was not extensive.

Those present were Messrs. .1, Totnbleson, rhairmaji, A. .1. Nicol. W. R. Clark. R. Murray, ,1. E. Benson, \V. T. Voitch, M. T. Trafforcl, T. Corson, r. ,1. Quigley, R. D. Dymoek. J. Macdonald. .1. H. Broadhursl, 11. .1. F. Tombleson, and C. 11. Williams. Leave of absence was granted to Mr. IVI Doyle.

Correspondence was received from the Harbour Boards' Union regarding meetings to be held on June 2!) and July 21, the latter being the annua! meeting of the union.—On the motion of the chairman it was decided not to seek direct representation at the meetings.

The Poverty Bay Beautifying Association notified the board that it had under consideration further beautifying work on the area surrounding the Cook Monument, and hoped to secure co-operation from the Gisborne Borough Council and the Gisborne Harbour Board. The letter asked that lhe board appoint representatives to meet the association's executive at a convenient early date. —The standing committee on beautifying projects. Messrs. A. .1. Nicol, I. ,1. Quigley, .1. .1. Macdonald and J. B. Broadhursl, was asked to meet the association's executive. Works Committee Reports The works committee reported on an inspection of the breakwater, which was found to be in satisfactory condition over its whole length. The protection work carried out at the return of the western diversion wall also was reported upon, the committee expressing the opinion that the work would be effective in preventing further erosion. The beach was quickly making up again at the spot, stated the report. The chairman stated that the cost oi urgent work necessitated by the erosion at the sea wall return had been .12(5(5. including the cost of material. The trouble, he felt, was one which might recur as often as there was a flood in the Waimata River, but that it had been shown On repeated occasions that the difficulty was only temporary. The board gave authority for the replenishment of the stone supplies at the depot, which had been drawn upon in the recent work at. the sea wall.

The report oi' the secretary-man-ager, Mr. 11. A. Barton, on (his damage stated that on Wednesday. June. !, after an exceptionally high tide, it was found that the sea had cut in behind the western end of the concrete protection work along the Waikanae Beach near the mouth of the river. The outer wall was intact, but part of the slab had collapsed where the sea had worked in underneath.

Immediate steps were taken to prevent further damage occurring next tide. Manuka fascines tmd stone which the board had on hand at Haiti were carted over and packed in position, under the board’s works foreman's supervision, by relief workers. The end of the wall then appeared to be satisfactorily protected. but in the following week further erosion occurred, threatening the previous week’s work and cutting into die bank further westward.

The works foreman and the whole .if his stall' were employed placing more fascines and stone, for several yards, to join up with sand bag protection work undertaken by the Wailamae Beach authorities. The work carried out by the board extended JOl't. from the end of the concrete wall on the sea front.

The report, which also included details of the work of the outside staff and of the maintenance dredge, was adopted.