SAYS WAIMAK. SCHEME SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT GRADUALLY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18578, 28 September 1928, Page 6

SAYS WAIMAK. SCHEME SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT GRADUALLY.

TRUST MEMBER TALKS ABOUT EXPENDITURE.

The proposal of the Waimakariri River Trust to carry out a scheme of river protection at an estimated cost of £176,000 of which £IOO,OOO will be raise** by loan is not supported in its entirety by Mr F W Freeman, a member of the trust representing the city. Mr Freeman expressed the opinion to a reporter that, an expenditure of £20,000 would go a long way towards affording the city protection from floods in the Waimakariri. However, he did not object to an expenditure of even twice that amount, but he considered that there was no need for rushing the present scheme through. “ I firmly believe that it necessary for the trust to have a scheme but I think it can be carried out gradually,” said Mr Freeman. In his opinion the protection of Christchurch did net require the huge expenditure that was proposed. Two-thirds of the amount of £176,000 was to be spent in protective works below the Coutts Island bridge, which was beyond the danger point as far as the city was concerned. The danger to the city was above the Coutts Island bridge, where an expenditure of £59,000 was proposed. As Catb- Iral, Square was 15 feet above sea level and was seven miles from the river the danger from the Waimakariri was not as great as some people imagined, and it was a question whether the ratepayers of the city should be called upon to find such a huge amount for the protection of outside areas. Over two-thirds of the trust’s rates were collected in the city and the great bulk of this money was going to be expended on works of no direct benefit to the city. From this point of view the system of financing the trust’s work was inequitable. Mr Freeman said that when the campaign for the loan proposal was commenced he would place his views before the ratepayers in greater detail.

When Mr J. A. Flesher and Mr A. Marihire, the two other city representatives on the trust, were asked for their views regarding the scheme, they said that they would deal with the matter fully on the platform at an early date. Both stated that they desireej. that the scheme should have the fullest publicity and that all the details should be thoroughly discussed. The scheme adopted by the trust is that all work below Coutts Island bridge is to be carried out strictly in accordance with Mr F. C. Hay’s No. 2 scheme, which is to make two cuts short* ning the river, to build a newreinforced concrete bridge, and to erect necessary stopbanks and protective works Mr Hay’s scheme for above Coutts Island is to be modified in the direction of a more gradual restriction of the river and the stopping off of the southern channels, as proposed by Sir Alexander Gibb in his report recently presented to tb-. trust. The total estimated cost is as follows: BELOW COUTTS ISLAND BRIDGE. £ Work to stabilise mouth 9,000 Pilot channels 8,900 Stop-banks and protection .... 16,400 New road bridge 25,800 Land and compensation 36,7281 Floodgates, clearing, planting, roads, etc 10.190 Ten per cent for contingencies 10,782 Total £117,800 ABOVE COUTTS ISLAND BRIDGE. £ Stop-bank and protection .... 16,700 Protection and planting 32,000 Clearing 5,000 Ten per cent for contingencies 5,300 Total £59,000 Grand total £176,800