WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 August 1921, Page 4

WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

KA K AROTAHI I3TTI DOE LOAN PROPOSALS. Notice has been given of the proposal of the County Council to raise a special loan for the purpose of constructing a bridge and approaches thereto, over the Kakapotahi (Little Waitaha!) river at its junction with the Rig Waitaha river to connect with the Bold Head road. The amount of the proposed loan is £ISOO, made up as follows: — Bridge construction MO'jJ Road approaches River diversion A protection ...... TO incidental expenses and contingencies I'^ £1,500 The proposed bridge will be built of hardwood, silver pine and inner heart of red pine. The piles, caps and packing pieces will he of hardwood; the corbels, sills, and chocks of silver pine, and the. stringers, decking waling, sheathing etc. of red pme. The width of the decking will be 12 feet, and the bridge will have a 10 feet (im traffic wav! The northern abutment will be piled to contend with possible river erosion. The river will require to be diverted from its present course on the northern side to the solid high bank on the southern side,, to prevent erosion of the northern bank. The formation ol the road will ho TO feet, mil the metalling 12 feet wide, over a distance of 1 1 "chains, involving one small culvert. The bridge and road will he substantially built to carry heavy goods traffic. ‘The loan is proposed tojie spread over fifteen vears, repayable at the rate of £IOO per annum. The interest will be 5J% which is a specially low rate of interest in these days of keen demand for money. During the currency of the loan £O2B will he paid m interest, making a total capital cost, of the bridge and road, of £2,12,8. lhe average animal payment over the R> years will lie 0142, plus 10" i, addition £15(5. , , The district included m the proposed special rating area ranges from the 11 ikonui river in the north, to M aitaiigi river in the south. The rateable capital value of the property within that area is 017(5,088. The special rate required to bo levied to meet the annual payments on the present valuation, will be seven-thirty seconds of a penny— which is less than a farthing per £ of capita! wiltie. The rale will yield 01(50. l«or rating’purposcs it " ill mean that evei> :■■)() of capital value will produce lid in ~.,tes Thus the rate of OKK) would he Is led: 0250, 4s 7.1 : 0500 0s 2d ; f.; it )()(',, iss id : LTiOU. 27s Gil : 02000, 15!is B<i. Formal notice of the loan is now ,riven, and it is proposed to hold the poll on Thursday, September 22, between the hours of 0 a.m. and 0 p.mThe poling booths will he at Hokitika ami t'e principal settlements south, paiticulars <.f which will he given by advertisement later. To carry the proposal, tlirce-hllhs ol the valid votes reeordud must be m favor. There "ill he a roll strength of little over 200. As-mu »g that led votes are rc-n'-d, CO votes at least must he recoided in favor of the proposal to ensure same being earned. The matter "ill he for the ratepayers to determine, and as the proposed public work will link up the main south road with a convenient rail connection to Ross, the new route should a (Tot'd a ~t string in transport charges of the so: tiers’ goods and produce. OVERSEER'S REPORT ON KOKATAHI ROAD. The following report from Overseen Millner has been supplied to the County Chainnaii : . ‘•f have the honor to report having examined Lower Kokatahi Road, comphiincd of recently by Air R. Maekley. An inspection by the Council "ill convince Members that the bench shingle is the* onlv material ill the district, ex(a*ptimr* broken metal worth placing on tin'" road: it may he a little rough at ni'csent as it is impossible to break all the stone when first placed in the ruts, hut frequent raking and breaking will soon reduce all rough portions to broken metal. Tn addition there is always 25 to 10 per cent of gravid amongst the shingle which is sufficient for blinding broken stones. The ot - dinarv beach gravel,. excepting from Robinsons Rond pit. is useless for repairing for heavy motor waggon traffic. ••The time is not far distant when the Council will require a portable crusher to reduce the beach shingle, and quarry stone to line grade metal, and when this class of material is used ill sufficient quantities, blinded and well solidified with a three and a half or four ton roller, a more permanent and in every way satisfactory road surface will result which will cost less per mile to maintain ill good order for constant heavy traffic than the present method of maintenance by placing loose gravel and stone on the road. “lit litv opinion all roads used bv heavy motor traffic during wet and (inc Weather should lx* repaired with the best material obtainable, and well rolled! otherwise constant attention is necessary to keep the loose material in position, as all motor traffic has a tendency to displace the material and throw it to the outsides of the wheel ruts, thus adding to the cost of maintenance each time the material is replaced.”