Murupara Rail Link Priority Survey Job

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 91, 21 October 1947, Page 5

Murupara Rail Link Priority Survey Job

Answering representations from the Murupara branch of the Chamber of Commerce at Murupara on Sunday, Mr W. Sullivan, district M.P., gave an assurance that the Government now regarded the rail link to Murupara as a priority job for survey, and that surveyors would be on the job in a very short time. A strong plea for support in urging the early completion of a railway line to Murupara was made by the chairman of the Murupara branch of the Whakatane Chamber of Commerce, Mr E. A. Dykstra, in welcoming the Leader of the Opposition and his Parliamentary colleagues to Murupara. He claimed that a line linking Murupara with Edgecumbe would take considerable log traffic off roads which he said were not constructed to take the potential logging traffic of from 40 to 50 lorries a day carrying 5 to 6 tons each. *

Mr Dykstra stressed the certain saving in petrol that could be achieved, and added that the saving in haulage costs would be a big factor in allowing N.Z. timber and forest products to compete against overseas markets. Quite apart from the timber angle, he quoted some startling figures concerning freight costs to settlers in that area, and the damaging effect of present high rates on local store prices. Freight rates were up 40 per cent, on old schedules, he 'alleged, and cartage had cost soldier settlers 25/- a ton last-year on 3,000 tons of freight into the settlement.