FREE GRANT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20042, 14 September 1939, Page 2

FREE GRANT

UPKEEP OF LAKE ROAD RECOMMENDATION MADE ACCESS- TO MAHIA (Special to the Herald.) WAIROA, this day. Reporting on his-visit to Napier in company with the' county enginee, Mr R. W. Hawthorne, ‘.o discuss with the' district engineer, Mr. A. Dmnie, matters in connection; with the free grant towards, the upkeep, pf the Waikaremoana Valley T all l, which the chairman of the Main Highways Board stated he was willing to provide upon a recommendation from the district engineer the county clerk, Mr. B. G. Signall, stated at the monthly meeting of , the County Council yesterday that Mr. Dinnie was prepared to .f*ommend that the council be provided with a free grant of the cost of maintenance over and above the average cost o the council for the five years ended March 31, 1939. This average worked out at £3674 17s, the total maintenance and the council’s share being £9lB 14s 3d. . . The council’s share of maintenance costs for the year ended March 31, 1939, was £1144 19s lOd, added the clerk, so that on the basis of that vear’s cost the council would receive a free grant of £226 5s 7d a year, plus any additional expenditure necessary as the result of increased traffic brought about by development work at the Waikaremoana hydro-electric supply system. Access to Mahla Opportunity also was taken, stated the clerk, to discuss/the, problem of the provision of z new road access to Mahia in lieu of the portion which had been rendered impassable by the floods of last year. Mr. Dinnie was awaiting a report from the- engineer of the department at Wairoa before making . any recommendation. He stated that he was ascertaining the position in regard to all grants provided the council for flood damage repairs, with a view to determining any balance not likely to be required, and then would see whether he could recoinmend the provision of a grant for a new access road on a basis of something better than £1 for £!• i