Local Bodies’ Highway Grants For This Year

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28262, 27 April 1957, Page 12

Local Bodies’ Highway Grants For This Year

Although all maintenance applications amounting to £ 173,227 were granted, construction expenditure on main and State highways and county roads in the No. 14 roads district this year was cut from £394.244 applied for to £317,311 by the district council at a meeting in Rangiora yesterday. Bridge renewals applications were for £48.092, and the commitments approved were £16.605. Major construction on highways and roads was approved as follows: Picton-Christchurch.— Leithfield deviation, £17,000; reconstruction concrete highway. Waimakariri to Styx, £15,000. (This is the first of the two three-year programmes.) Christchurch - Timaru. Blenheim road deviation, £45,000; Alliance street overbridge, £17,000; Sockbum overbridge, £25,000. (This is the first of the threeyear programme.) Christchurch-Akaroa. Little River-Hilltop reconstruction and seal, £20.000. Allocations were underspent in the district last year. They were £581,184, and the expenditure was £482.257. According to Major N. A. Rattray, a member of the National Roads Board, the allocations to the district for the current year have been reduced by 3.6 per cent, the amount being £475,000. Biggest Cuts On construction, the cuts made on county applications were:— Ashley, from £11,407 to £5407; Ellesmere, £10,360 to £6860; Eyre, £5190 to £3500; Kowai, £21,360 to £13,110; Malvern, £8516 to £6266; Mount Herbert, £16,175 to £6175; Oxford, £10,502 to £5500; Paparua, £18.489 to £12,489; Rangiora, £21.075 to £11,000; Selwyn. £13,088 to £9088; Springs, £13,362 to £4725; Waimairi, £12.324 to £4236; Wairewa, £5510 to £3074.

Opposition was expressed to the argument by Mr E. J. Stalker (Springs county) that the district executive should have reduced applications by counties pro rata. On the balance of the board’s revenue, the South Island was getting more than its share of allocations, said Major Rattray. The Auckland province was not getting one-third of the revenue which it provided. Waimakariri Bridge Questioned by Mr F. W. Freeman on the grant of £lOOO for the Waimakariri bridge widening, estimated to cost £70,000, the chairman (Mr A. E. Clark) said a good deal of investigation had been done into the northern outlet from Christchurch during the last year, and it was obvious that the solution of the problem lay in the widening of the bridge. The Ministry of Works was preparing proposals to the board and, in the expectation of getting some approval from the board, the district council had placed the item on the estimates, said Mr Clark. Hilltop Reconstruction

What was involved in the estimate for the reconstruction of the Little River-Hilltop highway? asked Mr J. B. Hay (Akaroa County). Was it a three-year, five-year, or eight-year plan? If the work was, to take a long time, he could foresee traffic difficulties. Was it possible to do the section in two years?

The chairman said that several proposals had been submitted to the National Roads Board. If the ultimate idea for the highway was carried out, the work would be slower, Major Rattray said. It would take a long time to bring the highway up to the highest standard. He was hoping that, if the money was available, the work would have high priority. “The big question is how long we can put up with the road as it is,” said Mr Hay. A good deal of expenditure had been done on the Barry’s BayDuvauchelle highway, said Mr Hay. Would the amount of £3OOO provided this year be enough to complete the work and do the sealing before the winter? A reply was given that the Ministry of Works was confident that the sealing would be done before the winter.

Barrier at Kaiapoi Questioned by Mr D. Hogan (district officer of the Transport Department), the chairman said the Railways Department had a halfarm barrier at the Kaiapoi level crossing as of low priority on its programme. No allocation was

• provided in this year’s estimates. Representations for a barrier had been made by the Roads Board. More traffic was going over the line than over some of the .crossings in Christchurch protected by barriers, said Mr Hogan. A traffic tally showed that the volume was exceeded only by that at the Riccarton crossing. The Railways Department had more than the question of cost of barriers to consider, said Major Rattray. There was limitation of the expert staff available for maintenance. Ellesmere Highway “On the face of what we have been told by Major Rattray and Mr J. B. Cullen, we have nothing to growl about,” said Mr G. Anderson (Ellesmere County). “Our programme for the reconstruction and sealing of the Leeston-Dunsandel highway has been cut by 50 per cent. “The money is not there. It has been allocated fairly. If, later on it is revealed that they have been mistaken, well—they will just be sorry for it (laughter). I am friendly towards the executive, but sometimes you have to be hard on your friends. We hope we will get more next year.”. Other Works Approved The biggest works in counties for which approval was given after discussion were:—

Ellesmere—Leeston - Dunsandel reconstruction and seal (9.5 miles estimated at £24,000), £4OOO. Kowai.—North Kowai bridge renewal (estimated at £14,000), £9200.

Malvern.—Aylesbury-Lake Coleridge strengthen and seal (three miles estimated at £9000), £4500. Mount Herbert. AllandaleTeddington reconstruction and seal (2.8 miles estimated at £20,000), £5OOO. Oxford.—Rangiora-Oxford via Loburn reconstruction and seal (two miles estimated at £10,000), £4261. Paparua.—Christchurch - Selwyn Huts via Lincoln reconstruct and seal (three miles estimated at £15,445), £6267; Hornby-Spring-ston reconstruct and seal (three miles estimated at £13,431), £6196. Rangiora.—Cust-Bennetts reconstruction and seal (four miles estimated at £18,400), £ll,OOO. Selwyn.—Dunsandel - Hororata reconstruction and seal (525 miles estimated at £15,150), £7OOO. Springs.—Collins road reconstruction and seal (estimated at £6700), £3025. Waimairi. Hare wood aerodrome memorial avenue footpath (2.69 miles estimated at £9000). £4500; widening (.31 mile estimated at £8400). £2OOO.

Wairewa.—Little River-Te Oka Saddle (1.25 miles estimated at £10.667), £3074.

Lyttelton Borough.—LytteltonMotukarara improvements, £8250; footpaths, kerbs and channel, £2125.

Leeston Town Council.—Lees-ton-Dunsandel reconstruction and seal (.54 mile estimated at £2000), £l5OO.