More N.Z. Money For Thai Road Project

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31003, 8 March 1966, Page 1

More N.Z. Money For Thai Road Project

'A’ew Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 7. New Zealand will increase its contribution to a joint ThaiNew Zealand feeder road project in North-east Thailand from £300,000 over three years to £450,000 over five years.

The road will run to Buriram from Borabu, which is about 55 miles by road from Khon Kaen, the site of the University of the North-east, where New Zealand is helping establish a faculty of agriculture.

The original sum included i £240.000 for equipment and ! £60.000 for the maintenance of a New Zealand Army road , construction group of 15 en- 1 gineers in Thailand for three ' years.

The group had arrived in Thailand on January 17 and much of its equipment had already arrived, said the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake).

I It was now recognised that [the project would take five I years to complete and that more equipment would be needed for the 110-mile road. She said. “It has been decided therefore that additional earthmoving machinery and other roadbuilding equipment to the value of £lOO,OOO will be provided over the next four years and that the road construction group wli be maintained in Thailand for a further two years at a cost of up to £50,000,” Mr Holyoake said. Thailand would provide labour, equipment and materials. The Thai Government had already built a perman ent depot at Maha Sarakham for the New Zealand Armyroad group and it would build temporary field camps along the road for Thai workers. The total estimated cost of the road was about £2.000.00G Thailand would meet the costs i i in excess of New Zealand s I &

contribution, Mr Holyoake said. “This joint roading project is another practical demon stration of the friendly relations that exist between New Zealand and Thailand and of New Zealand’s concern to help

[in the economic and social ad i vancement of tbe people o*’[ Thailand." Mr Holyoake said ■ “Not only will the road' stimulate local trade and raise; living standards in an area; ? that suffers from a dry cii ■ mate and lack of natural re-; t. sources, but it will bring; about an improvement in the; security of a region that is i now subject to increasing f propaganda and subversion,” I ~said Mr Holyoake.