ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4879, 18 September 1925, Page 1

ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

A MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION DEPARTMENT AND MAINTENANCE. The Minister for Public .Works in his annual statement refers to the fact that considerable attention has been paid during the ‘ear ‘.o Inc question of road construction and surfacing. The report states : — “The realisation of the capabilities of improved surface to .withstand the ever-increasing motor traffic, and thus considerably reduce the cost of upkeep, has led the department to adopt the principle of subsidising the cost of bitumen or tar-sealing dr other improved surface. At the same time, in view of the fact that s ; iich improved surfacing is particularly in the interests of local bodies, who are primarily responsible for maintenance, it is considered that the scale of subsidy on isuch work should be lower than that for ordinary macadam road-surfacing. On main highways the Main Highways Act lays' down the rate of subsidy. The factors involved in arriving at the subsidy basis are the cost of laying down a gravelled or metalled road as compared with 1 .the cspt of providing a sealed or more permanent type of surface, the annual cost of upkeep of the several classes of surface, the amount of traffic using or likely to use the road in question, and the ability of the district concerned to pay the capital and maintenance costs, involved.

“The general question of maintenance has assumed consiedrable importance since the - advent or fast motor traffic. This has ’rightly received careful consideration by the department; and I cannot too strongly stress the importance of constant and sufficient maintenance. The initial cost of construction is now not the only factor to be considered in connection with a metalling scheme, but the ability of the district to adequately maintain the road once it is metalled is by no means the least important consideration. The principle has therefore been adopted of investigating a local body’s capabilities in tnis directino before any comprehensive metalling scheme receives the approval of the department, and in future no authorisation of approved grants or subsidies will be made for metalling purposes until the local body satisfies the department, by a resolution of the council, that it has arranged to provide and set aside annually sufficient funds .to efficiently an effectively maintain the worlc Althought maintenance of roads is, strictly speaking, the function of local authorities 1 , it is my department s; duty to watch the interests of the State, and by directing attention to necessary maintenance safeguard the value of the State’s investment in such roading scheme. Usually the State has as much invested in the road surface as the local authority. It is pleasing to note that local bodies. are themselves, to a greater extent than has been the case in the past, moving in the right direction s'o far as maintenance Of roads is concerned.

“The system of preparing the public works roads estimates in accordance with each district’s claims for consideration under such factions as area, population, rating, loans for roading purposes, values of undeveloped lands, and estimated amount to fully complete all legal roads has again been adopted. This system, which is the most fair and equitable yet devised, and under which no one 'district receives at the expense Of other, localities a greater amount bf Government financial assistance than that to which it is justly entitled, is proving entirely , satisfactory. Its operation takes the various local bodies very much into the confidence of the department, .'and by being made aware before the estimates are actually prepared what -amount of assistance may be obtained for that financial year a local body is able to map out a comprehensive programme for the year’s operations and have all arrangements 'made in time for an early commencement with work as soon as weather conditions permit. A most important .feature of the application of this scijieme of allocation in connection with, the annual roads estimates is the rafrangement whereby officers of the department and the local b'ody confer as to the general requirements of the district concern* ed. By this means' more cordial relations are established between the department and thei local bodies generally, and the advantages to the Dominion from the resultant linking-up of local body operations are obvious.”