Mr. Semple Says Auckland Not Neglected

Chronicle (Levin), 14 October 1949, Page 5

Mr. Semple Says Auckland Not Neglected

WELINGTON, Oet. 13. Figures showing there had been great er expenditure on works in the Auckland area eompared with Wellington were given by the Minister of Works (Mr. Semple) last night in repiy to Auckland criticism that more had been spent in and around Wellington, The figures are exclusive of hydroelectric development and defence construction. The Wellington figures are for a larger area than those for Auckland, including 10 counties in addition to cities and boroughs, whereas the Auckland area in'cludes only four counties. The Wellington area is that up to Shannon, 011 the Manawatu side, and to Eketahuna, on the Wairarapa side, The Auckland area is to Wellsford in the north and Mercer in the south. Expenditure for 1935-39 was: — Wellington, £29,501,000; Auckland, £31,- 1 797,000, That for three years (194(549), subsequent to announcing the 10plans, was: Wellington, £9,805,055; Auckland, £9,835,891. For the last financial year, 1948-49, the expenditure was: Wellington, £3,393,000; Auckland, £3,845,000. Delays in starting some rnajor works around Auckland were admitted, .said the Minister, but similar delays oecurred in major Wellington district projects. In some cases, and this applied particularly to Auckland, there had been divergent opinion regarding location or some other important phase of the work cdncerned.