PAREMATA BRIDGE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 72, 22 September 1930, Page 10

PAREMATA BRIDGE

SHARING THE COST

£4000 FROM THE CITY?

OPINIONS DIFFER

' Though so far discussions upon the :fi-uancial side of the proposal to construct a traffic bridge at Paremata, at iov very near the point where the railway bridge sets across the narrow estuary arm for Plimmerton, have been .held in committee, but a member of the Oity Council, in conversation with a "Post" reporter to-day, indicated that it was his intention to ask the council to deal with the whole matter in open meeting, as, in his opinion, the ratepayers had a right to know what was proposed. The main features of the proposal sad the arguments in favour of a bridge aie well known. A bridge across the >(uite narrow arm would shorten the distance between Paremata and Plimjuerton by between five and six miles, :uid undoubtedly would do much for Plimmerton, and would be welcomed toy the many thousands who run out to ihat seaside resort. There is a. much bigger issue than this, however, and that, is the shortening of the main highway between Wellington and Paekakasjiki, and the cutting out of the Paekakariki Hill by the building of a new length of highway on from Plimmerton, round the coast past Pukerua Bay, to join with the present main yp&d jnsfc beyond the Paekakariki Hill descent. The sea coast length is quite within practical engineering, but no •one "denies that it would be an expensive job, which would probably, on account of the steepness of the coastal .faeei about Pnkerua Bay and the loose asitnre of the took, involve a certain imoint of tunnelling. Eventually, iihere i»' little doubt, the main highway -will follow this route. A OITY RESERVE FOR £4000. •The present proposal does not look no far ahead: it stops with a traffic bridge to give direct connection between Paremata and the flat leading to Plimmerton. The bridge, the reporter was told, would cost about i-22.000, of which the Government might be willing to find.£ls,ooo, leaving the Joi-a! bodies most interested to find £7000. The proposition made to the (Jity Council was that it should find ityQGO. of the £7000, and that in return $n'. area. of. about 18 acres—just over 'rtfe railway bridge and on which the remains of the old redoubt stand— should be vested in the city as a city 'reserve, the other local bodies agreeing i*kt the City Council should haye full control of the area. Thus Wellington would have two seaside reserves both well away from the city, Day's Bay and Paremata. RESERVES COSTLY TO MAINTAIN. ■'There was no question, said the councillor, that from some points of view the idea was attractive, for of the 18 siejes of waste land a great deal could be made, and a properly laid out and equipped reserve there would be a well worth while city amenity, but there was Hie other side of the question—the same old side—finance. If it would satisfy the. public for the council to fiiid the £4000 and take over the area jfi< would not be so bad, but it was obvious that that would not meet the case". ~.'.'' Immediately the reserve was created ard was made conveniently available to the public it would become popular— itnd. admittedly that was an argument la favour 6£ the council supporting the bridge and financial proposals—but then would follow demands for dressing^ sheds, tioating sheds, tennis courts, Jawiis'-fpr children, lawns for croquet flayers, and so on and so on, and before 'il\i eouncilknew where it was the origin?.l' £4000 would have swelled into ft ■very much larger sum. The idea of a. seaside reserve,, said the councillor in conclusion, certainly !hsd( something to recommend it, but he thought'that the public should have a knowledge of what was proposed lather^than that the terms should be announced when the whole business was concluded.