MANAWAHE ROADS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 64, 18 December 1946, Page 5

MANAWAHE ROADS

COUNCIL MEETS SETTLERS

SPECIAL RATING AREA PROPOSED !■

Satisfaction both from the settlers and the County Council’s points of view was achieved as a result of a conference between Manawahe residents and the County Works Committee last week. The main theme of discussion was the question of effecting improvements to the main access road to the district.

In a report received at yesterday’s meeting of the full Council, it was pointed out that the settlers maintained that Manawahe transport charges were higher because of the state of the roads and. because of corners, all the roads were dangerous. Information was requested as to on what the roading expenditure mentioned' in the Council’s letter of the 27th September, had been expended, and it was maintained road works were not adequately supervised and that the Manawahe roads were not in accord with the needs of present-day transport. With the straightening of the highways costs would be considerably reduced. It was mentioned that because of the condition of Mclvor Road three farms which were previously dairy farms had been obliged to abandon dairying in favour of dry stock. The settlers regretted the road had been graded prior to the committee’s visit. The settlers considered the Council should endeavour to procure more up-to-date roading plant. The schedule of Manawahe properties and roading statistics dated 11/12/46, was placed before the meeting. ! ' \

The County Clerk produced figures to show that the Manawahe General Rate of 3 3-8 d for the current year will bring in £lll 8s lid. It was competent for settlers to petition the Council for a separate Works Rate and in Manawahe, Statute would permit the striking of a general works rate of £SOO per annum.

Assuming the present General Rate had been maintained during the last 12 year period at the present figure (and this was not so) the Manawahe ratepayers would have subscribed towards roading and other County costs during such period approximately £1,340. Expenditure on the maintenance of Manawahe roads for the last 12 years was £17,914 16s 6d. Onefourth of the Highway expenditure was financed from Council funds, and the full expenditure on the other five roads was financed from Council funds. The total expendi-

ture from Council funds on Manawahe roads for the last 12 years was therefore £7,370 4s 7d. This gave an annual average expenditure of Council funds on Manawahe roads of £614 3s Bd. Under the current Awards with travelling allowance, surfacemen received £6 3s 3d per week, truck drivers £6- 18s 9d per week and gangers £7 4s 9d per week. '

. The Chairman stated the County general rate of just on £14,000 was wholly expended on .roads. For the current year Main Road expenditure would absorb just on £9,000 of the general rate and Riding Road expenditure £5,000. The Council’s proportion .of Highway expenditure would be over £I,OOO and additional

to this Public Works Road Grant expenditure would be approximately £4,000. On the basis of Ridings receiving one-third of the General Rate for expenditure on Riding Roads, Manawahe would receive, on its valuation, just under £4O of the Manawahe general rate of £lll 8s lid. The average Manawahe.road expenditure over the last 12 years had been, from rates, £614 3s Bd. Mr Burnett also mentioned that the District Engineer had intimated that there was a possibility of a

surplus~this year of Highway Maintenance Funds and if this were so it might be possible to obtain a grant of £6OO (making £BOO available) for

maintenance metalling on the Mat-ata-Rotorua Highway. It was also explained that, the Press attended meetings of the Council but Committee meetings of the Council were not open to the Press. The meeting had concluded with a vote of thanks to the Committee, and expressed appreciation of the County Engineer’s promise to assist the settlers in submitting roading proposals to the Council. Tt was also intimated that the matter of petitioning the Council to levy a separate works rate on the Manaw‘ahe district would be gone into, £SOO p.a. so provided to be expended on capital works such as improving road alignments and road surfaces. The Council was requested to endeavour to have an £BOO Main Highways Board allocation made available for metalling Mat-ata-Rotoma Main Highway tips year.

Discussing the meeting Cr Bur Discussing the meetin'g Cr .Burt yesterday said that there had been some pretty 'straight talk indulged in on both sides but the meeting had concluded on a happy note. He thought that much good had resulted and only hoped that in future the Works Committee would make a point of visiting the outlying districts and meeting the settlers more often.

Cr McGougan agreed that the meeting had served a very good purpose and congratulated the Chairman on the iway he had explained the position to the ratepayers.

The Chairman commented that the settlers now held the reemdy, in their own hands and would doubtless be making their own representations in the near future.