WANGANUI COUNTY DEFERS DECISION ON KAITOKE LAKE OUTLET

Wanganui Chronicle, 9 September 1950, Page 4

WANGANUI COUNTY DEFERS DECISION ON KAITOKE LAKE OUTLET

A further request from a group of Kaitoke settlers for the improving of the outlet drains at Kaitoke Lake was received by the Wanganui County Council yesterday. The council oecided to advise the settlers that tne matter will be reconsidered when a Ministry of WorKs report, which has already been requested, is available.

The settlers protested against the council's decision to overcome the problem of flooding near the lake by raising the road and installing additional culverts. While this would give the ex-servicemen settlers served by the road all-weather access, the danger of flooding to low-lying land would not be entirely averted. Widening of the lai e's former outlet, together with the proposed culverts, would serve the purpose of providing all-weather access and averting the flooding, the settlers claimed. Also, there was more chance of obtaining a Ministry of Works subsidy for such work. It would not be a difficult matter, either, to design a stop to be placed in position to hold the water in the lake during the summer, seated the settlers. There was a high solid bank ideally placed for the installation of such a stop. - The county chairman, Cr. A. H. Collins, said the problem was a difficult one to solve. The council was mainly concerned with giving allweather access to the settlers served by the road. While the settlers had apparently been assured the council could obtain a subsidy for enlarging the lake outlet, the work would probably still cost about £lOOO and future councils might be committed to maintaining the drain. The council's plan to raise the road two cr three feet would only cost about £5OO to £7OO, and there would not be such a high expenditure involved in future upkeep. Cr. L. A. Mackintosh agreed with the chairman that the council’s main concern was the toad access. Before the council committed itself to altering the outlet of the lake it should obtain a report from the Ministry of Weeks. Being told that a report had already been asked for. the council decided to leave the matter over for discussion until the report came to hand.