METALLING OF ROADS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4752, 17 September 1924, Page 1

METALLING OF ROADS.

POSITION IN KEBEPEEHI VIEWS OF DEPARTMENT. The Question of the completion of the by-roads in the Kerepeehi township is one that has received a good deal of attention at meetings of the Ratepayers’ Association. At the annual meeting on Monday evening a letter was received through Mr H. Poland, M.P., from the Hon. A. D. MrLeodi.'Minister for Lands, stating that when the Crown opened blocks of land for selection it did notundertake to complete and metal the roads prior to the land being opened, but loaded the- land with money sufficient to form the> access roads, it being considered that the further cost of metalling should be borne by the local body and possibly subsidised by the Public Works Fund. “In the case of townships such as Kerepeehi,” continued th© letter, “the position is different. In this case the main road through the township, which provides access to most of the township subdivisions, has been formed and metalled by the department. The remaining roads on frontages of sections disposed of or occupied by employees of the department comprise 56 chains, of which 24 chains have already been formed and 32 chains are unformed or partly formed. The completion of the road formation and provision of footpaths where practicable is in hand; but the work is being done as road plant can be spared from more pressing work. In the meantime all sections have reasonably good road access. Further metalling is a matter for the County Council, although the question of a subsidy may be considered on application being fnade.” It was also stated that there were now 48 residential sections having no access to metalled roads. Thirteen -if these were reserved for departmental employees, and 35 had been sold, for approximately £1450. The cost of forming and metalling these roads would be approximately £l6OO, and the Minister suggested that the county council be approached with a request that a special loan be raised and the roads metalled, including the school road, which was in existence before the drainage works were commenced, and was, therefore, a county responsibility.

As time did not permit of the matter being discussed, it was deferred until a later meeting of the association.