PUBLIC WORKS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 234, 30 June 1944, Page 3

PUBLIC WORKS

Preparation Of Ten-Year Plan The preparation of a 10-year plan of public works to be undertaken by the Ministry of Works was announced m Christchurch by the Minister, Mr. Semple. The works, he said,, would include railways, public buildings, State housing, hydro-electric ' development, river erosion protection, irrigation, road construction and land improvement. . Each project, said the Minister, would be carefully examined, and the full facts in connexion with its economic value would be submitted to the Ministry before a final decision was made, so there would be no ill-considered projects or rushed jobs. He hoped plans would be ready in a few months covering the whole of the Dominion’s future activities in the construction or reconstruction spheres The work would go hand in hand with rehabilitation, so that when the time came men could be put on to ■ essential jobs xvithdut any delay. The Public YY'orks Department was busy preparipg plans for the renewal of bridges over a 10-year period. • lhere were many bridges that would have been replaced long ago but for the war, and some were becoming a public danger. YVhen the 10-year plan for their removal was prepared they would be marked iu order of urgency or preference. Every other plan for the future would be considered in the same way. There was a hydro-electric plan for 10 years, and further projects were being investigated, so that the plan would be extended for possibly 20 years. The Ministry of Works was composed of engineers and experts who sat, frequently to discuss the various projects. Any county work that was necessary would have to go before the Ministry of YVorks in the same way as State undertakings. Evidence would bo taken from the counties so that the Ministry of YVorks would be convinced about anj’ project submitted, and it would not be accented on its face value. . Associated with the Ministry ot Works was one of the most competent engineers in New Zealand, Mr. E. K. McKillop, assistant engineer for the city of YY r ellington, who had been trained in the Pubic YVivrks Department. He would be associated with Treasury, and would be able to give Treasury the. fullest information on any project. There were also two competent inspectors, both 'qualified engineers, who would be directly responsible to the Minister of Works, and would report direct, tn him. and through him to the Executive of Construction. That was done to keep close contact with the engineers carrying out the jobs, so that the cost ami time factors would be carefully watched. If n job was slipping, costing too much, or being shimmed. those inspectors would he responsible for submitting a report direct, to the Minister.