WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 November 1922, Page 4

WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

TUESDAY, NOV. 14th

OVERSEER. Ml LEXER'S MONTHM REPORT.

I have the honor to report upon the various works completed during tho month of October 1922. SOUTHERN RIDING.

Petersen Road Extension.— The work of metalling across the swamp to connect with the old metalled road below AV. AVhitiskip’s residence was completed on November 3rd., the tramway lifted, and iron rails stacked on the old road in readiness to be removed by the County Motor to AVaitaha. La Fontaine Creek Clearing.—Continued floods during the month causing the water level to rise two to threw; feet above normal prevented any workbeing effected to tho creek bed. Evans Road £150.—-The Contractor completed fourteen chains of metalling in a very satisfactory manner and with ordinary weather conditions the whole of the work will be eompleted by the end of November.

Lower Kakapotahi bridge repairs.— A 1 the necessary material and gear for pile driving is at the bridge site an the work of repairs will commence, on November 13th. COUNTY WORKS.

Repairs were affected to the upper portion of Petersen’s Road, and a few, soft places on Robinson’s Road were repaired with gravel. Iho Roadman attended to repairs of a culvert on the lower end of Evans Road, also to elearjn,r and repairs to several culverts on Happy Valley Track ; ruts were also repaired and raked on Waitaha .Settlement Road. CENTRAL HIDING.

Kokatahi bridge repairs, £ for C grant was continued under the direction of Bridge Foreman Boucher, and the following timber was removed and renewed. Trnnsomes 15 x 44, 3/18 2/22, corbels 12 x 12 4/7, lower chords 13 x 8 1/38 8 x 5 47/14, decking 8 x f 350 superlicial feet. In addition eight temporary piles were driven, .caging placed in position, a quantity of now bolts made, and old bolts repaired, and rendered lit for use. chains repaired, and working gear improved. Lake Isanieri road repairs were continued between Kanieri and Ward Road, and the subsided stone pitching on the eastern approach to Left Hand Branch Bridge, l.ako Kanieri Road, was rebuilt in a satisfactory manner renduring the road safe for heavy traffic at this point. Watertables and drains along the road between Kanieri and Kanieri River Bridge were cleaned and minor repairs effected to bad boles and ruts. The Lake Road is showing signs of considerable improvement since n greater quantity of broken metal is available for repairs. Defective decking 1/31, 15 x 8 stringer was removed ami replaced, also hand railing erected on No 3 Duck Creek Bridge. Kokatahi Rond. Defective decking was removed and renewed. also traffic planking placed on No 1, No 2, and No 3. Harris Creek Bridge .and Dominick's Creek Bridge, Koiterangi and Graham’s Creek bridge Lower Kukalhi. A quantity of sawn timber was al-o carted by the' County Motor to Kokatahi Bridge and various bridges in the Kokatahi and Koiternitgi District. 7/39 in. diameter concrete pipes were carted to Bladier’s Road to he ii readiness to he placed in to allow motor lorry to haul material for Idling approaches to i"dverts.

Flood damag.i was repaired on HoUi-tikn-Hau Hau Rond. water table's

i leaned and a slip removed from the deep outlet drain at the head of Marks culling. A portion of Dawson Road drain was cleaned, and 1.150 links of Murray road drain widened and deepened. A portion of Back Cheek Road, between the Alain Road and the mill was attended to by raking and breaking metal in tlie ruts. Watertables and drains were cleaned, decking renewed on two bridges, also small subsidences filled on Blue Spur Road. A couerete pipe drain was constructed below the Reservoir on Hokitika-Hau Hau Road, replacing a defective box culvert. Three loads of concrete pipes were also carted from Kanieri. and distributed at various places for renewal of defective drains and culverts. Di the Central and Northern Ridings concrete pipe construction was continued with two mni. and the trophy gun n<t Kanieri cleaned end painted. NORTHERN RIDING.

Arsiliuni. River l’lotection, £ for C grant. The Contractor for the manuka scrub supply lias commenced work but could not make much headway owing to the wet weather experienced. COUNTV WORKS.

Water-tables were cleaned oil liarcourt’s Hill and a fallen tree removed from Bluci Spur, Humphrey's Road. Tlie Roadman attended to repairs on Arabura A'aMey. jSpwicer and One Mile Roads, also to removal of slip from Sandy's l.oopline, repairs to Kuinara Junction. Kumarn Beach and Kapiton Lainplougli Track. Liverpool Bills Track was cleared, and repaired. a road drain cleared at Piper's Flat, and the railing of AA’nimcn Creek, Stock Bridge repaired. Owing to the wet weather experienced which caused the gravel pit to become flooded. AVall’s Road repairs could not he attended t”. AVaimeaCreek at Harris Ch.Cl). Road was also too high to obtain tin* levels for the proposed stock bridge, but will be attended to as soon as the river becomes normal.

1 hare the honor to report as requested by Cr AVells, upon the erosion of the .Southern bank of the Hokitika River along the river frontage to the property at present occupied by Air Houston (formerly Mr F. Howard). The river lias made a -dangerous setdirectly into the bank, immediately behind bis residence, through a wide overflow channel from the main river, and will cause a good deal of destruction during high flood. The protection of the bank from further erosion is a problem, and could not be attempted for less than £S(X). Relief may to given by tlie expenditure of £3O in scoping a diversion channel to load the overflow in a northerly direction where would strike tlia hank some distance below the property, and cause no damage but even this class of work may not bo effective as tlierei appears to l.e a large body of water to contend with, wtih no certainty of confining the flood water to the channel to cause sufficient scour to keep it open.