THE ROCKS ROAD SLIP

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14150, 29 July 1916, Page 4

THE ROCKS ROAD SLIP

DISPOSAL- OF THE MATERIAL

HARBOUR- BOARD AKD THE COUNCIL.;

The secretary of the-Nelson Harbour Board wrote giving: the Council notice to immediately cease depositing spoil from tiie Rocks road into the harbour, in terms of section 209 of thVHarbours Act, 1908, and .further -drawing* attention to sub-section .2 of the same section. A previous v application some time ago, it was stated, from the Waimea County Council to do the same thing was referred to the Marine Department, which, acting on the .'.'advice' of the Engineer-in-CHief, absolxitely prohibited the depositing of any.debris over the Wall into -the- harbour.

Messrs Adams and Harley, solicitors io the Board/ wrote regarding the samematter, also stating that the Council was responsible at law for the removal to a proper position of^any spoil.already deposited contrary .to the provisions of the Harbours Act. .

A telegram from the Secretary for Marine was read', stating that the"matter had been represented to the-De-, partment. The depositing of spoil in the harbour was Contrary to section 209 of the Harbours Act,' and lie requested the. Council to discontinue the practice forthwith.-;

Tne City Engineer .-reported that the notices arose through the clearing of slio.s on.tbo RocK Rof>d X tbrmv.'njr the material over the.wall; The Marine Department had: prohibited the depositing of spoil in the harbour,, but the shore along the road was not within what was generally understood .as the harbour, and it was not to be supposed that, any-.damage-could be done to the haroour. by putting the slips over the wall. He 'had,no hesitation in savin» that no part: of the spoil could be washed into the. harbour or any channel leading.into it, the drift being undoxibtedly the other sway. Before the road was constructed slips were conj.muaJiy coming down from the .cliffs, nna were dispersed'by the sea, and he railcti to see why the debris should not Ao on -to the beach as'"before The cost of clearing the slips" by putting the n-.a ten;-: L over the .wall would be about |£B>>_ At.vdi'of it .was in. 10 to 20 ton blocks,. which could be jacked over -the wall. If carted away they 'must be" Broken up, and the cost'of removal would probably reach £300 or more. It did not seem reasonable to him that the ratepayers, should be forced- into unnecessary expenditure of £200. Slips were likely. to be of frequent occurrence, !a.nd the., rights of;the case should be properly defined if the Harbour Board could not" see itsT way. to modify its attitude. In. the meantime lie had discontinued workat the slip'.'•■".;/-.■ -. / Cr. Webley moved that the.request--6f the Harbour Board and'the Marine Department., be complied with.' .'WTiatever the; legal position migM be. it would be: ua\vise for,.the.Council to oppofee them ! * *..

(Jr. Moffatt t&e point raised by. the City Engineer as to" the position if the road w as not there was important. But for the road the- slips would fall mtu the sea itself. r He thought the opinion of the -Council's solicitors should be. obtained as towvhether the section quoted applied. ~ Cr. HaiApson agreed with Cv.- Moffq.t,',jS view. - \

t-CXtfßij&'fm&b 'She^xna&rial OoulcTv^. some of the material for protectivework along the Bi-ooL stream 1 " - In repK; to Cr. Moffatt, the City Engineer said ifwonia cost 4s a" yard to break up and load the lumps into carts, and another- 4s 6d a yard for carting. * .

Cr. Mercer suggested that the Haibour Board be requested to allow the lumps of rock Jo be put o\er the wall the loose material to be carted to the Council's piopertv in Washington Val-

Cr. Webley withdrew his motion in favour of Cr Mercei's suggestion Cr .Mofratt suggested thit the widening of the Rocks Road mio-ht be 13^ 011 *lth The Mayor,-refemmg to Cr. Piper's suggestion, said it was not the Council s business to lemake the banks of the Brook any n oie than to repair other flood damage on pi hate proFw y -. The ProPeit"v owneis must dotnat therrselves. He was exceeding sony for those .who had suffeied, but tho Council could j.ot assist them ilie resolution was carried, and it was decided that the City Engineer mterview the Boaid at its next meetino