Dam plan an insult to Nordic heritage

The people of Mauriceville West have spoken, and it is to be hoped that those planning to flood part of their historic precinct listen.

I am referring to Wairarapa Water Use Project planners including Mauriceville West as one of nine possible dam sites to be built to store water for later irrigation of dry pastures.

While it could be conceded irrigation water is needed in Wairarapa as a whole, the selection of Mauriceville West as a site not only seems to be a pie-in-the-sky idea but also goes against the grain of anyone with a knowledge of the area's history.

Mauriceville has a special place in the hearts of thousands of Kiwis with Scandinavian heritage, many of whom have close links to the Lutheran Church which is to be isolated under the dam plan with part of its grounds - which form a historic cemetery - flooded.

Heritage issues aside, the Mauriceville West plan looks to be heavily flawed anyway.

By all accounts, the dam would be piddling in the overall scheme of things and would be situated in an area commonly known as being part of the "green belt".

So, just who would benefit from the water collected?

And furthermore, the apparent disruption the building of this relatively small dam would cause seems out of kilter.

For starters, those on the fringes of the dam who live along the existing road that links Mauriceville West and the township would require a new road to be built simply to access the township.

Presumably that road would have to link up with either West Road or Jackson's Line and it goes without saying neither would be a cheap option, but the alternative of just leaving a handful of householders high and dry is ridiculous.

I will stick my neck out here and state the Mauriceville West option will never happen and therefore should rapidly be dropped as one of the nine possible sites.

If that is not done then it leaves those whose land is part of the hare-brained scheme in limbo, unable to concentrate on improving their land and certainly hog-tied from selling it.

The quicker Mauriceville West is out of the mix, the better.