PATETONGA ROADING

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4962, 16 April 1926, Page 4

PATETONGA ROADING

QUESTION OF RESPONSIBILITY.

DEPARTMENTAL VIEW.

The following letter from the Hon. A. D. McLeod, Minister of Lands, came before the Hauraki Plains

County Council at its meeting on Tuesday “ With reference to your letter of 10th inst., relating to the maintenance of roads in the Patetonga district I have now to advise that upon perusal of the report obtained it. would appear that, the question wasi discussed between your council, -and the chiet drainage engineer prior to the passing, of the “Hauraki Plains Amending Act, 1922.’’

“ At that, time the department was; engaged on claying the roads in the peat areas at Patetonga, and the chief drainage engineer gave the council an ,acss>urance that if the roads were placed under their control before this, claying was completed, the work would nevertheless be finished by this depairtmviit. The roads- were nominally handed over to the council by the passing of the abovementioned Act, and were declared to be county roads in the Gazette of 1923, pages 2146-7.

“I am informed that your council has made no attempt whatsoever to maintain the roads, and that up to the present jny department has carried out all reclaying and maintenance work that has been done. Unless the roads: are properly maintained it is certain that sooner or later a- general reclaying must be rendered necessary. My department more than fulfilled all the promises made, and your council, which has been collecting rates for the last four years, and has made no attempt at' maintaining the roads, "must now be asked to fulfil, its: responsibilities in the matter, my department being unable to hold itself responsible, “As it appears that your council has not been-performing its, .part in the matter of keeping the roads in order I cannot recommend, that my department should undertake the responsibility,” - ... Or; Mfiyn said it was evident to him that the department wap wrong. It had been driven' into the reclaying. It had made a,U sorts .of excuses. All the work done had been maintenance, and this was done very reluctantly, and. only sufficiently to. make the road suitable to receive metal. Up to the present the roads had not received sufficient attention. He moved that the resident lands drainage engineer be asked to accompany the county engineer over ,the roads, with a view to deciding their fitness to. receive metal.

In reply to Cr. Hare Or. Mayn said that' the matter would be brought up at a commission if one. was set up.

At a later stage the following motion by Cr. Mayn was carried :— “That this council is of opinion that the Lands Dra,inage Department has endeavoured to force the Hauraki Plains, County Council to assume ia responsibility in regard to reelaying roads in the Patetonga, area under the guise of maintenance when the department should know that an arrangement was come to that this necessary work be done by the Government. In regard to the statement that the council,-collected rates in' the areasin question, and did no maintenance, we would like to point out tha,t the department, forced this backward section of peat country on to the council and delayed necessary reclaying, thus precluding the council from doing any work on the roads referred to''the department knowing that the council was compelled to.collect rates, whether it thought it or not. The council desires: its"'engineer to meet the lands drainage engineer and definitely settle the reelaying controversy.”