PLAINS BRIDGE SCHEME.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4468, 18 September 1922, Page 3

PLAINS BRIDGE SCHEME.

COUNTY COUNCIL’S POLICY. CRITICISM AT TURUA. Controversy continues between the Hauraki Plains County Council and the ratepayers-, in connection ,with it® bridge policy, and more particularly with the proposal to bridge the Waihou River at Kirikiri. A meeting of Turua ratepayers was held in th a Turua' Buildings on Friday evening, when representatives of the County Council attended by request. The chair was occupied by Mr D. G. McMillan (chairman of the local ratepayers’ association). The attendance was not large, only 18 ratepayers puttting in an appearance. The Councu was represented by Messrs J. C. Miller (chairman), W. G. Hayward, CW, Parfitt (councillors), E. Walton (clerk), and J. Higgins (engineer). The chairman expressed regret that there was such a small number of ratepayers present. Perhaps, he said, some of the ratepayers had changed their minds since ’the postponement of the meeting. T,he main object of the meeting was for a discussion on the Kirikiri bridge. He asked that the councillors give a summary of the proceedings in connection witn the bridge. He did not think many of the ratepayers were clean on the matter. Mr Miller did not think there was ■any part of the Plains that did not know the history of the' bridge as well as the Turua people. He thought it best to go into figures, which, were the hardest to understand. He asked the clerk to go into figures. Mr Walton, giving figures said the average unimproved value per acre in the Turua riding was £22.25. Tha Kirikiri rate would be 3 9-10 d per acre, and also for the Pipiroa bridge, 22-3 d for the Hikutaia-Netherton bridge, and also for the Ngarua and Patetonga bridges, 1 l-10d for Orchard and Puke bridges, and 8 5-8 d for the Kopu ferry approach roads in that particular rating area. The total .rate would be 22 5 6d in the Kopu ferry approach roads area and 14% 1 outside that area. The figures were based on the presumption that Tahuna secedes from the County and on the assumption that the Kirikiri bridge will cost £60,000 and the County’s share would be £12,000. He would like to say that the estimate 3 were based on estimates of engineers., Mr Madgwick asked how the Orchard East rate would be affected as a county matter. Mr Walton: It would make it heavier. Mr Sutton asked if Turua would be the most heavily rated. Mr Walton: Yes. You pay for your bridges in proportion to your valuation. SECTION 119. Mr Madgwick asked how; many bridges were to be built under section 119 of the Act, and how many bridges would they have a vote on. Mr Miller said there was hot one bridge where the section could not be applied. Mr Madgwick: Is the Council going to build all bridges under section 119 ? Mr Miller: Yes, all those bridges enumerated. Mr A. P. Gardiner said that some, of’ the bridges enumerated were in the county, and did "not affect any , other county. Mh Miller: If it affects any other county, that county could be cited. Mr Walton said that if a bridge could be shown to be a benefit to any other district section 119 could be used. Mr Gardiner: What material would the PipirOa bridge be built of ? Mr Miller: Hardwood. BRIDGE COSTS. Mr Gardiner said the Pipiroa bridge, costing £24,6'00, was a quarter the length of Kirikiri, costing £60,000', and it seemed out of all proportion. He inquired whether: the Kirikiri bridge would cost more than £60,000. Mr Miller: We are only going on the engineer's estimate. The speaker knew of no estimate for the Pipiroa bridge to be built in concrete. The Hikutaia bridge was estimated :.t £24,000. There would not be a great deal of difference in the .lengths of Pipiroa and Hikutaia bridges, and they were basing the Pipiroa estimate on the Hikutaia bridge estimate. Mr Gardiner: Then the Pipiroa estimate of £24 000 is assumed ? Mr Miller: Yes. Mr Sutton: What is the total cost of bridges to this county? Mr Walton : Roughly, £43,000. THE POLL QUESTION. , Mr Madgwick: Does the Council think it is-justified in going on under i section 119 seeing that practically the whole of the ratepayers are against it? The chairman said that evidently, if they went to a poll, there would be no bridge, as the Patetonga people would not vote for a bridge at the northern end. He asked if this aspect had been discussed before the bridges were made county matters. Mr Madgwick agreed that it was a good policy that the bridges should be county matters, but the council had overstepped the mark by not granting a vote of ratepayers. There was much disagreement on the matter in the county. They had lost one riding (Tahuna) on the decision. He thought the Council was taking too much into its bwn hands. He .thought it an autocratic procedure. Mr Hayward asked Mr Madgwick if there would be any bridges bui’t if it were not taken under section 119. Mr Madgwick said if it Were all taken in one loan it could be carried. BRIDGES AND ROADING. Mr Gardiner asked that while going in .for a bridging sciheme, did they not think of a reading scheme. Ha thought it was a mattep of the Kirikiri bridge alone, and not of any of the other bridges. Had they considered the roading scheme when considering bridges ? * Mr Sutton said the Council had made the biggest blunder in existence by trying to build six bridges under the system of section 119. Netherton was talking of going in with Ohinemuri. He thought the council was trying to smash up the whole county.

Mr S. Bagnall endorsed Mr Sutton’s views. He cou,ld not say that apy of the county roads were good. The roads .were in a shocking state. Even the engineer had got stuck- Tne roading problem was the main one in the county. They would never be able to get to the bridges with the roads they had. PURIRiI BRIDGE. Mr Miller: Perhaps the Council made a big mistake in not letting yon go on with the bridge you had already carried by poll. A Voice: Hear, hear. Mr Madgwick: You are referring to the Puriri bridge, I know. Supposing you made the Puriri bridge a county matter, don’t you think it would be much cheapen? It would serve the Plains as much as Kirikiri, if not better. I don’t see that yon are going to give any great help by smashing up Puriri and building Kirikiri. Mr Sutton said all the bridges could wait till they got roads, Mr Miller did not think that Puriri would serve the whole of the Plains. He allowed it was hard for a few down Huirau road who were close to the Puriri bridge site, but taking che Plains as a whole it was not a suitable place. Mr Madgwick: Your remarks about a few benefiting by the Puriri bridge may also apply to Kirikiri. MAIN ROADS. Mr Gardiner: Has the main roading scheme been spoken of in council ? Mr Miller considered that the main road would come down through Turua. The main roading scheme had hot been spoken of in council. Mr Walton said on June 28 the representatives of the Lands Deparment met. the Council and the main question was roads. The representatives of the Department were asked what scheme they had in respect on roading. They would not consult the Council with regard to the roading scheme, and it was hard to say what the roading scheme would be. Mr Gardiner said if they wish to study their owp main roading scheme they must also study .the main reading scheme of other counties, and the bridges should be built accordinglyHe Contended that the only way to supply the Plains was either over the Puke bridge at Paeroa or over the Kirikiri He said there was as good, an undeveloped harbour inside the Wathou as could be found in the world, and they were contemplating putting a bridge across the mouth of it. The bridge .would spoil one of their greatest assets. HIKUTAIA A FARCE. Mr Madgwick: Do you consider the Hikutaia bridge is an absolute necessity ? A Voice: Puke bridge is a dry area bridge. Mr Miller said the councillors were not decided that the Hikutaia bridge wais an absolute necessity. Mr H. C. Luke said a bridge at Hikutaia was a farce. “The Orchard East Road,’’ he said, “runs straignt from Ngatea. ‘the hub of the Plains, and Puriri was the site for abridge.” BETTER ON ROADS. Mr Bagnall asked if the Council did not. consider the £43,000 for the bridges would be better spent on roads. Mr Miller said he Would not say it would not be well spent on roads, but were they going to build a barrier round them so that they could not get out? Mr Bagnall: I tried tp get. but the other day and couldn’t. The rpads were too bad. WEAK-KNEED BODIES. Mr Madgwick: Assuming that the Council’s policy is all right, do you think if it was put to a poll it would be carried ? Mr Miller said there was good county money wasted in taking polls. The poll system was a fine one for weak-kneed local bodies which wished to put the blame on the ratepayers. BLAMED FOR A “TWISTER.” The chairman said he had been blamed that he had "twisted” and was more in favour of the Kirikiri. He was still ofl the same mind, and still considered roads before bridges. The position was, were the bridges wanted, and were the ratepayers willing to pay for them ? “Are the ratepayers all in favour of the bridges. We have no indication that they are. The election is next May, and perhaps they will start on a bridge, a new council will come in and alter the whole scheme.” The New council had the privilege of rescinding all these resolutions and taking a vote. He was 'sure they would not get a vote at present. The only thing in the ratepayers’ powers was to petition to the Public Works Minister. “We can put them out next election if we are not satisfied, and if we are satisfied we can put them in again.” Mr Madgwick said it was a principle he was after and he would fight for it all he knew.

Mr Sutton thought section 119 should be wiped off the Statute Book, He moved that they urge that the Kirikiri bridge or any other bridge in the county should not be built without a poll of the ratepayers. Mr Miller, concerning the elections, said he was doingjithe very best thing to put him out.

Mr Hayward thought the Tunjua riding had got a decided win in getting all bridges coupty matters, and he thought that end of the riding would be complimenting the council on its decision. Who would not. get the vhlue Of the rates out of the bridge ? Mr Madgwick: But the ratepayers don’t seem to want the bridge.

Mr Hayward: The whole cost in the Turua riding would be twenty-two pence per acre. He had been against building Kirikiri without a poll, but the scheme as it was now was quite all right. He would see that bridges did not come before roads. The bridges would not be built all at once. The idea was to get a scheme. A Voice : Kirikiri. ROADING NEGLECTED. Mr Madgwick said the scheme may be all right, but they had neglected the roading scheme. The Council had not given them a roading scheme at all.

Mr Hayward: With the bridging scheme the roading scheme will come, too.

" Mr Parfitt was rather surprised to find the Turua people against the bridge. All in his area wer.e for itIf honourable meh were put into the council next election they could not rescind the Council’s bridging policy. The scheme would be carried on, whatever council was put in power. Mr Madgwick : You have committed us to that expenditure. You’re autocratic. Mr Parfitt: There’s nothing autocratic about, it. Mr Hayward admitted that some of the bridges were, not essential at the present time and the Council did not intend to build them yet. The bn tv reason for building the Kirikiri bridge was to get to Thames. Mr Gardiner: If the Thames Harbour Scheme fails where is Thames going to be ? The Thames business people will establish branches on the Plains and so get out of a sinking ship. The waterday carriage from Auckland, he said, was cheaper and better. Mr Hayward said the Turua people could not say they did not gp to Thames. Mr Sutton proposed that no bridges in the County be erected without the sanction 'of the ratepayers. Mr Gardiner seconded, and the motion was carried without dissent.