DANGEROUS CORNERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 47, 30 June 1947, Page 4

DANGEROUS CORNERS

HEDGES OBSCURE THE VIEW COUNTY TAKING ACTION Dangerous corners throughout the Whakatane County where hedges should he cut hack or fences set back were mentioned by councillors at the June meeting of the Whakatane County Council. The county inspector mentioned in his report that he had asked Mr J. Gillanders, of Waimana, to cut a hedge at a road junction down to the ground. The inspector also mentioned trees on the Station Road corner which Mr H. Ernest had trimmed, but in the inspector’s opinion the work had not been done sufficently to permit a clear view at this corner.

Cr R. F. Wardlaw thought the position at Mr Gillanders’ corner would never be really satisfactory until the corner was cut back. Where Fence Was Moved Mention was made of a corner at Opouriao where a fence had been set back without taking any land, and the visibility had been greatly improved. Cr Wardlaw: It would be a happy solution in this case also if Mr Gillanders would agree. There was a discussion regarding the powers of county councils to order hedges to be cut down. The chairman, Cr J. L. Burnett, said the council had a right to demand good visibility at corners. Galatea Road Corner Cr T. H. G. Cawte mentioned the corner near the Bluffs on the Te Teko-Galatea Road where there had been nine accidents in eight months. Nothing had yet been done to improve the visibility. There was a

collision there that morning. The road should be widened.

The engineer said that there should be a notice “One-way traffic.” Cr Cawte said the vehicles that collided were not going fast. He asked the engineer to bring this corner to the notice of the P.W.D. engineer when they were inspecting the road. The Engineer: It would be a big job to make it safe. Corner Near Te Teko Cr R. C. Leslie mentioned another dangerous corner near Te Teko. He would like the inspector to interview the Maori owner of the section at the corner of Maori Road and the State highway. If the corner could be set back it would be a great improvement. It was left to Cr Leslie and the engineer to see the owner concerned. Cr Wardlaw remarked that there were other corners in Waimana which were no trouble because the people concerned kept their hedges trimmed. The hedge on the State Highway at Whiteman’s needed to be cut back.

Cr H. C. McCready mentioned a corner in his riding where the hedge should be set back fully half a chain.

Cr W. Hunter spoke of the corner opposite the mill at Edgecumbe, where there were large lawsoniana trees. He understood that the owner would not cut the trees. It was a very bad corner. He would like to see the trees cut down in the interests of safety to road-users. The chairman (with a'smile): It looks as if the inspector will be busy having hedges and trees on corners cut back for all next month.