KUMARA JUNCTION TO ARAHURA ROAD

Hokitika Guardian, 14 January 1931, Page 3

KUMARA JUNCTION TO ARAHURA ROAD

COMPLETION PROPOSALS SU GG LSI ED. At the monthly meeting of the Westif land County Council yesterday, Mr F. e- W. Furkett, Kngmeei>in-Chjef of the le Public Works Department, wrote asle follows : . i- “The Government lias been on many l, occasions pressed to complete the road r t | from Knmara Junction to Flowery !<) Creek (Arahura) in order to shorten the distance- between Greymouth and _ Hokitika by about eight miles. ,i- “I am directed .by the Minister of i ( » Public Works to ascertain from you i_ to what extent the County Council would contribute towards t'Jie c.onstruction and future maintenance of this g road. L> “Presumably if the road were made, 3 the Alain Highway would be amended .j. so' as to eliminate the portion between s Dilimans and Flowery Creek, which p would revert to your Council, as or- ., dinary County road.” In connection with the foregoing, enquiry was made by Cr. Ward what the Treasurer thought ajiout the. matter. , Mr Eyans said he had .prepared the following memorandum on the position » affecting the. road in question: Reference to the above work, was ■ made in .the Treasurer’s, report of Oct- ’ obep, last, when considering the liab.il- ’ ity.of. the Northern Riding to jnect Hie. subsidy required for the metalling. * It was: pointed out that the Council was copiinitted . to the, .completion of . 1 the metalled road to Chesterfield (Rap- j 1 iten) to give .settlers and milLhands 1 ■ road access in ease of emergency. To j date tliere has been spent on this section GI96G Lis 3d, of whoih £1.300 was provided by Government .grant, and the Council £466 14s 3d. At the late session there was a further subsidy vote of £6OO. £2 for £l, for which the Council must find £3OO, and £230 free grant, making available £1,130 for immediate expenditure. Proposals for this work have been sent in to the Public Works Department,,,, This expenditure will not completp. ■ the road to the Kapiton - creek-. In addition to which bridges will be roquireql . for Acre, Serpentine and Kapiteajj. Creeks. A considerable further expe.n-. i diture is thus involved to complete thja,,. section indicated. Following, there remains the sections, Chesterfield to Awatuna, including a i: . large bridge over'Waimea Creek, and., the section, Awatuna to Araliura. including the bridging of Flowery Creek. Tn 1021 £6OO was spent in - the con—;, struction. of a, small section, of th.q< .) Awatuna-Aralnira section. The rate revenue derived along the ‘route is very small, being analysed as.: 1 ( I follows : ; £ s d . Kumara Junction to • -j ;i Chesterfield 18 8 O' •. Chesterfield to Awatuna 6 1 ;.(f ;..j Awatuna to. Arahura 7. 3 .Q • 1'.... 'if £3l 14 v'K' The kngine.er-in-Ghief, in, |iis meinor-fb| andum presumes, that if the: through-m roacl to Arahura were completed, tilt'll ])drtion of the existing highway, from -. ’' Flowery Creek (Arahura) to ‘Dillmans ;/1 would he eliminated and revert to the*'':. CoilJicil... This, would hardly be equitn!/■•':* >» as the Arahura-Dillmans section is an' 1 ?" I 9 essential part of the. through road " Hokitika to Christchurch, and should . obviously remain a main highway. * The Council decided that the Treasurer’s statement he conveyed to the Engineer-in-C'hief, and that it he pointed out the Council was not disposed to assist with the construction of the l'oad beyond the section committed to ending at Chesterfield. 11 Members considered that the Council already had incurred am undue linbility in-.view 'of the small amount of revenue derived along the route. ' : " The .Treasurer said Kapitea bridge s would cost upwards of £2,000 and brid- 11 ging: Acre.:and Serpentine creeks would be considerable- also, and - free grants' 11 should be asked .for in. respect toThe.se works; ■ • r '■ G It:was. left to the Clerk to reply on 7i the lines oLthe discussion. • t'l