WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1920, Page 4

WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

TUESDAY, SEPi'EMBEII kith

COUNTY CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

Gfintleiiieii, —I beg to report that on I the Ist inst .in company with Or. Duff, j the Overseer and the Clerk, portions of | the Stafford and Dillman’s Hidings w’ero visited, and later in the day the Resident Engineer, (J. D. Gillies Esq) was consulted at Greymouth on various County matters.^ Awatuna-Arahura Road, £SOO. The expenditure of this vote, has been cm* trusted to the Council. .Tho work will bo commenced at the Araliura end, and the road carried along the oho chain j road reserve on the seaside of the railway. It is proposed to form the road for a width of 18 feet, and metal a width of 14 feet. The roadway will bo parried as, far as the funds will permit, and culverts put in only,where actually required for traffic. Where possible, including Flowery Creek, open crossings will be put in to serve for the time being. While inspecting the route it was a surprise to fi)nd such an excellent range of good country to be tapped by this road. There are find paddocks to be served, and in. one instance a large field of potatoes was being sown in excellent soil. The road will be required as soon as completed to serve the land in question, and get the produce out. Overseer Millner has been instructed to prepare the proposals for the undertaking of this work, which it is hoped to have under construction not later than next month. Kumara Juction to Awatuna, £SOO. This proposed road was inspected at two points, Awatuna and Kumara Beach end. At the latter end the road has been formed as far as. Acre Creek where the railway lino descends to the flat. Our party went over the route as far as Serpentine Creek. The route follows the flat country, and the formation constructed some years ago is of sound and solid material. There will he a hairpin turn where the new! road links up with the Kumara Beach road, but there will he room by cutting into the hill side for a wide sweep. For the extension of the formation from Acre Creek towards Ivapifea as far as funds will permit, the Public Works have the road plans available, but for a distance of approximately one mile there is no road reserve. This will have to bo acquired from the section holder, and Mr J. C. Macfarlane will be asked to do the necessary Land Act survey to acquire a strip of land one chain in width for the length specified! It is intended ,to form in the first instance this portion of the road as far as Chesterfield track so as to give easy facilities for stock traffic. The creeks will be left as open crossings meantime, but some culverts will require to be put in over old abandoned tail races. Now that this road is being taken in hand aigain, a substantial grant should be asked for next year so as to hasten the completon to Awatuna. At the latter point a road bridge will be required to - cross the Waimea creek, and as the railway reserve takes in all the road reserve, a further land survey will be required, there also for a right of road way to the rear of the station, to avoid the main through road to be constructed cross-, ing the railway line. It is expected that when the road is completed it will be irtuch. availed of.

, Gillam’s Gully road. A sawmilling enterprise is setting in over a mile from the main, road junction where water power is available to work the mill. Tho mill itself will be connected ultimately witli the railway line by a tramway passing through the mill bush. Till then, six months or more hence, tho product , from the mill will pass over . this road, and also. Awatuna road to the railway siding. _ Gillnm’s Gully road has been unused for some time and was overgrown and out of repair. Repairs are being carried out, and as a res'ult of the visit some further work was authorised in cutting through a high bank of tailings to afford better access. This millng enterprise purposes when the timber is cut out to use the land for stock grazing. Awatuna Road. This road is carrying heavy traffic again from two sawmills, and will require constant attention. The road will come ‘under the scheme proposed by the Public Works Committee, at last meeting whereby the users of the road with the heavy traffic must pay a portion of the cost of the special upkeep. At Awatuna the old mill-bridge which .serves, as a connection for three settlers holding land on the north side of Waimea Creek towards Fourth Terrace, was found to be in* disrepair, and £ls was authorised for repairs to permit of stock traffic to and from the holdings. South Westland Bridges. * At Greymouth a very satisfactory interview with the Resident Engineer took place. Regarding the much requested main road bridges, Mr Gillies stated tenders were to be called immediately for Little Waitaha whiyh has been. dppe, sufficient hardwood timber for the proposed structure having arrived. For Little Wanganui bridge, the Department is still awaiting the hardwood, while there is still a considerable quantity of the local timber to he cut. The north approach to the bridge site is in hand, proceeding in conjunction with the protection work. For the south approach a deviation of the main road is to be. put. iq carrying thq new road by Johnny Walker’s creek to Mt Hercules road. The two approaches will tend to confine tire main stream more and more, and give the waters a bet-

ter run in the centre of the wide river bed, thus avoiding erosion of the banks. Authority ha.s been, received to let contracts in connection with Waitangi bridge, and these will be arranged as soon as the timber can be provided for. A tender has been accepted for Tatar© bridge, and a site for Waiho Gorge bridge surveyed. In connection with Dry Vines ,McCullough and Parkers’ Creeks between Tetaho and Wataroa, bridges are contemplated, but deviations may be necessary owing to the erosion of the Wataroa river beyond Parker’s Creek, and the bridge proposals are suspended till this matter is further determined. For Waikukupa bridge a timber contract will be let as soon as possible. Far South Works. Slippery Face road £SOO. As the Public Works Department bad no officer available to lay off this work, which is extremely urgent, Mr It. Ritchie, (former roadman of the district) and Roadman Nolan have been hsked to visit the out of the way locality, and select a route for approval.

The present road is the most precarious J on tho whole route to the far south, fond a now line of road Jji more solid : country is indispensable. Otlicd works in tho Okuru Riding for yliieh Government grants have been authorised are being put in hand as labor permits. Bruce Bay landing road is being completed at a cost of about £9OO, and there ,is available over. £I,OOO for tho landing , stage .to the . Mower Pot rock. This work is for the Marine Department and Or Grimmond and Mr. Seddon M.P. have been asked to urge the expenditure so ns to facilitate the loading and. unloading of boats calling at Bruce Bay. If the conveniences are provided there will be an export of timber front that locality. On the Waiho to Well,oka road widening there is now very little to be done to complete the.road construction. This road will entail a good deal of maintenance for a time. It will he a useful thorough fare opening up a long range of additional country for vehicle traffic. Expenditure of votes. The Resident Engineer approved the proposals to improve Back Creek road mainly for the Diggers’ Sawmill traffic. Proposals for Docherty road were agreed to subject to a slight variation, which when made will permit of tenders being called for the work. The Engineer at tho present stage was not.disposed to agree to tho amalgamation of Gibb road vote with Docherty vote. Petersen road vote of £SOO is held up for the time being owing to some requirements about road drainage. These latter have been performed, and the necessary explanation has been sent to the Minister through Mr Seddon. As the Council is spending £1,200 out of loan money to complete Petersen road as quickly as possible, the present departmental. delay may be considered only temporary. The Engineer sanctioned tho preparation of,/proposals for widening a small section of Lake Ka’nieri road at the upper end for which £IOO is available, and promised to see that the . expenditure of Wall road vote, Koitcrangi, went forward as quickly as possible. Minor improvements pn roads. ... The small bridges and ..culverts on crossings on the Christchurch road..between Dillmans and O'ti’ra are to be 1 put in by the Government, a substantial authority for the work having been "ranted. A promise has been given, also, to have small culverts required on the south road beyond the Mikonui to Ferguson’s, put in before Christmas. The look-out point of Lake lantlio is to be cleared of scrub, and the wash out on Jit Hercules, which is impeding traffic is to be restored within the month. A by road asked for by Messrs Minchan from their sawmill to Little Wanganui south approach will be' investigated by the Overseer at first opportunity. From the foregoing it will be seen that the Public Works Department lias a large number of matters in hand affecting the welfare of the* district, and no doubt the Council will continue to lend all the help it can in prosecuting as rapidly as possible the various district .works to conipleton. On behalf of tho Council I took occasion to thank the Resident Engineer for tho satisfactory position in which the various works enumerated in this report, stand. ltoad-making machinery. I desire again to bring under the notice of the Council tho necessity there is for acquiring suitable road making machinery, the most efficiently and economically to carry out the works of the district. Local bodies everywhere are real ising the value of machinery for road works ,and with the dearth as also the increased cost of labour, the action is becoming more and more imperative. On consulting with the Overseer, I have ascertained that the most suitable requirements would he a motor tipping lorry, a power driven stone crusher with elevator,• and a road roller. This plant it is estimated would cost ~ Tipwards of £3,000. A portable plant of this nature would enable a road repairing staff to be moved about the Ridings ap far south as Okarito, and the various roads put in thorough repair thus reducing casual labour very, material! ly. There are several road widening works ahead in some of the principal districts ; and tho motor tipping lorry will reduce the cost and the time required for the works very materially. An Albion machine lias been suggested as the most suitable lorry, and after making enquiries I have obtained the following letter of recommendation from the Dannevirke County Council. “This Council lpas purchased recently a 4-ton Albion Motor truck. Same has been ,in constant use for the past six weeks parting shingle for patch, in" various ,roads in .the County and also doing .general carting and lias proved more than satisfactory in all the work undertaken, both as regards the running and automatic .working, of the truck. Dannevirke County consists mostly of hilly country and from tho work so far done . by the truck the County Engineer in the event of requiring another truck, would not, eon-j sider any make other than an Albion.” As regards the proposed cost a loan would require to be raised, necessitating a poll. This could be .taken inexpensively, over the whole county. in November when the general .election, of members takes place. The Treasurer suggests that the loan should have a currency of ten years, and the principal to be paid off at £309 per annum in two half-yearly instalments of £l5O each payable in March and Septembei of each year. This . could be financed out of tho general fund without collecting a special rate, though as secuiifcy for the loan, a special rate would require to be struck, but it need .not be levied. I commend the matter to...theearnest consideration of Councillors, and as the time is limited if the poll is to. be taken in November, it is necessary to take the prelimnary steps, and a special meeting is convened to pass if the Councillors approve tho necessary special order at their pleasure.