RIVER PROBLEMS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18539, 9 April 1930, Page 6

RIVER PROBLEMS.

MATTER OP NATIONAL CONCERN. That the problem of river control was one of such significance and magnitude that its efficient handling was beyond the capacity of any local administrative body, was the tenor of a report on the management and control of rivers, which the Geraldine County River Board decided yesterday to submit to the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle). The report claimed that the matter was of national concern and should be treated as such by the Government.

The report stated that the County of Geraldine had been constituted the controlling authority under the provisions of the Geraldine County River Districts Act when it assumed control over certain rivers—the Rangitata, Orari, Waihi and others within the county. The County Council as a River Board had functioned during the past eight years and performed its various obligations in that capacity. The history of the rivers had been most discouraging previous to the County Council taking over charge. Conditions had been growing worse for many years and the trouble was of such long standing through neglect and lack of means to do anything with, that the rivers had got beyond control, and were seriously damaging large tracts of valuable land in the low lying areas of the county. The gravity of the situation had been such, that the Government appointed a Commission in 1921 to investigate ansJ report on the subject. The first step taken by the Board to ameliorate flooding, was the removal of obstructions in the beds. The problem of controlling erosion was also considered. To restrain the floods, levees were built along great lengths of the banks, and had generally been successful in migitating the serious effects of flooding. With the limited funds at the Board's disposal, a limited percentage of protection only had been accomplished, and the question had always been one of getting the largest results with the least money) The Board, had expended the following amounts within the several river areas into which the county was divided. South Orari £7042/17/11, Upper Orari £2510/15/9, Rangitata Island district £975/13/3, Rangitata district £ll6l/7/2, Waihi Loan District £3856 The Board’s operations had included works covering thirty-three miles of river beds, besides considerable isolated operations in other than the four main I waterways of the county, and had only ! touched the fringe of the matter of ' effective control in the district. A I conservative estimate of the requireI ments of the River Board placed the following values of necessary works:— Orari River (25 miles at £400) £IO,OOO, Temuka river (4 miles at £300), £1,200, Te Moana ri*j*r (27 miles at £400), £IO,BOO, Hare river (3£ miles at £300), £1,050, Waiif river and creeks (21* miles at £350), £7,525, Kakahu river (15 miles at £300), £4,500, total £35,075. The Board would respectfully petition Parliament to introduce necessary legislation to take over the matter of river control entirely, and relieve it of its present burdensome responj sibilities,” or in the alternative, to so ! generously subsidise the funds of the River Boards as to enable them to I carry out their duties in a more comprehensive and efficient manner.

Mr Burnett’s Suggestions. Mr T. D. Burnett M.P., for Temuka, who had been sent a copy of the report telegraphed:—“l respectfully suggest that any move that your Council makes for wider River Board powers should be in the direction of fuller and more definite control over all the river channels and greater facilities and powers in raising money on river lands classed ‘A,’ the latter to be given quid pro quo in lighter rate burdens in other directions. The contemplated river control legislation of the Government contains nothing to meet the particular needs of river control as affecting South Canterbury.” Subsidies on River Money. It was decided, in connection with the consideration of the River Boards Bill that the Minister of Internal Affairs proposes bringing down at the next session, to ask him to include a clause in the Bill to enable the Government to pay the River Board a subsidy on all River Board expenditure in the event of the Government declining to accept full river control as set out in the report. Various suggestions were put forward in connection with raising money to help solve the river problem, and .Among these are that the whole county should be rated 1/16 of Id to help save the lands that are in danger of being lost. Councillor Flatman reported that this would raise over £916. Another suggestion was to approach the Government for a subsidy, and to use the rentals from river bed reserves to part of the interest on a loan to help grapple with the problem.