You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
8 Wednesday <strong>January</strong> <strong>17</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />
SELWYN TIMES<br />
Your Local Views<br />
Water race uses<br />
Former<br />
mayor Bill<br />
Woods<br />
writes<br />
about<br />
water<br />
races in<br />
<strong>Selwyn</strong><br />
GOLD<br />
CARD<br />
LUNCHES<br />
MON - FRI<br />
Woodfired Pizzas / Full Menu •<br />
$20 Pizzas Mon/Tues •<br />
$7 Beers 4-6pm Everyday •<br />
Gaming Room •<br />
Tues Quiz Nights •<br />
Thirsty Thursday 7-9pm •<br />
Chill Out Guitar Session Thurs 7-9pm •<br />
Thurs / Fri Curry Special •<br />
Takeaways Available •<br />
Open 7 days Coffee/Lunch/Dinner<br />
Open 11.30am Mon-Sat | Ph 03 421 6481<br />
Sunday Breakfast from 9am<br />
West Melton Village, Weedons Ross Road<br />
www.twofatpossums.co.nz<br />
Courtesy Van available<br />
SOME PEOPLE will<br />
write about the loss of<br />
water races and the effect<br />
on the wildlife. I have an<br />
alternative perspective that<br />
many do not consider.<br />
Water races were introduced<br />
to the Canterbury<br />
Plains that lacked reliable<br />
flowing streams to enable<br />
stock to be farmed on the<br />
parched land in summer.<br />
The water races served a<br />
dual purpose and that was<br />
to provide an alternative<br />
means of household water<br />
to supplement the capture<br />
of rain water in areas<br />
where the underground<br />
water table was inaccessible<br />
such as Darfield.<br />
Most houses that were<br />
supplied with race water<br />
had a third tap in the<br />
kitchen for drinking water<br />
fed from a tank that collected<br />
the rain water.<br />
Before the water races,<br />
drains were dug to ensure<br />
that settlements were not<br />
flooded in the winter or in<br />
times of excessive rain due<br />
to roads being constructed<br />
with the crown of the road<br />
being higher than the land<br />
alongside.<br />
With the construction of<br />
the water races sometimes<br />
existing drains were<br />
utilised to carry the water,<br />
especially in the townships,<br />
so they served to<br />
carry both the water race<br />
and stormwater.<br />
As time progressed, the<br />
water races became a habitat<br />
for creatures that either<br />
lived in the water or relied<br />
on the availability of access<br />
to water for sustainability.<br />
In the towns some people<br />
beautified the races by<br />
maintaining the edges and<br />
some even planted flowers<br />
or special grasses.<br />
Eventually potable water<br />
supplies became available<br />
and the need for water<br />
races in the towns became<br />
obsolete.<br />
With reliable water<br />
supplies, the water races<br />
were closed off. This meant<br />
that more water was available<br />
to a system that was<br />
stretched in the summer<br />
months to supply water<br />
for stock as originally<br />
intended with some stormwater<br />
being disposed of by<br />
soak pits where there was a<br />
low water table.<br />
Turning off the water in<br />
these races left a channel<br />
where the water used to<br />
run, resulting in a call<br />
from the residents to fill<br />
them in.<br />
Filling in a race that was<br />
not a dual purpose one was<br />
not a problem, but there<br />
were many that provided<br />
drainage in the wet season<br />
and only carried water<br />
when the rainfall was<br />
more than the land could<br />
absorb.<br />
If there happened to be<br />
a few dry seasons in a row<br />
the drain would appear<br />
to be not needed and the<br />
original reason for it being<br />
there in the first place was<br />
forgotten.<br />
Calls would be made<br />
to have this particular<br />
channel filled in as it now<br />
served no purpose.<br />
This is what happened<br />
on Bealey Rd in Hororata.<br />
After the channel was<br />
filled in there was no apparent<br />
problem as the wet<br />
seasons were not sufficient<br />
to cause major flooding.<br />
How wrong could this<br />
thinking be; the area<br />
along Bealey Rd has been<br />
inundated with surface<br />
water that has nowhere to<br />
go due to the drain being<br />
filled and no alternative<br />
provided to remove the<br />
excess water.<br />
The district council<br />
has lost several legal<br />
proceedings and spent<br />
well over $80,000 and<br />
still the two properties<br />
on the corner of Hawkins<br />
and Bealey Rd flood in<br />
severe wet conditions and<br />
the houses fronting onto<br />
Bealey Rd have excess<br />
water problems with septic<br />
tanks and stormwater.<br />
None of this flooding<br />
took place when the<br />
drain along Bealey Rd<br />
was operational. Yet<br />
the district council still<br />
continues to ignore this<br />
situation.<br />
Artisan Homes<br />
Builders of superior homes. Built to last.<br />
Winners in Registered Master Builders House of the Year Awards<br />
Our new Showhome in the new Faringdon<br />
South Showhome Village. Opening in <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong>.<br />
WAtcH tHiS SPAce!!!<br />
Phone 03 374 9<strong>17</strong>2 Rob 021 324 876<br />
email rob@artisanhomes.co.nz<br />
www.artisanhomes.co.nz
Change language