QUARRY ROAD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5002, 19 July 1926, Page 4

QUARRY ROAD.

DAMAGE BY HEAVY CARTAGE. MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITY. Considerable time was taken up at the last meeting pif the Paeroa Borough Council in discussing whose wa.s the responsibility of keeping the short s.trip of road leading from Station Road to the Paeroa Quarry Company’s property in a reasonable state of repair. In the Works Committee’s report it was stated that the engineer to the Hauraki Plains County Council ha.d been interviewed with reference to the matter, in view of the large amount of heavy carting that body had done over the road during last summer, and he, had definitely refused to. contribute towards repairing the road in question.

Or. J. W, Silcock pointed out that the Hauraki Plains County Council was not using the roads during the winter months,. It appeared that the liability for repairs was not the Plains Council’s, yet it would be a hardship to the quarry contractor if he had to accept sole responsibility for the state of the road. He did not think the matter should be shelved. The Mayor said that the matter had not been shelved. It was recognised that the quarry industry was worthy of assistance, but the council was not prepared to purchase about 200 yards of metal at 7s 6d a yto’d to do the work. Such expenditure would be out of all proportion to the extent the read had been used by the quarry company and the purchasers of its metal.

Cr. Silcock reiterated that the Hauarki Plains County Council was not carting over the road during the winter, and tha.t it would be well to remember that practically the only carting being done was by the Borough Council’s own carts. For some years the quarry company had kept the road patched. The Borough Council had done very little work in repairing the road, and a quantity o’E second-class., metal had been used and had proved useless. He thought that the council should be prepared to purchase at least 50 yards of metal. Ct. P. E, Bren,an said it was to be'

regretted that the Plains Council had refused to contribute towards the cost of repairing a road which it had the chief cause of damaging. He contended that the Borough Council had not been met in a reasonable spirit. It was desirable to put the roa.d into a reasonable state to assist the quarry owners and those interested, but he could not support any suggestion that threw the whole responsibility on to. the Borough Council. Cr. Brenan then moved that it be a recommendation to the Works Committee to spend approximately onethird of the sum required to put the road into a passable condition during the winter months, provided the other parties concerned contributed the balance.

Cr. E, Edwards seconded, but a.dded that he thought to stipulate onethird of the cost was endeavouring to extort too much from the parties concerned. It had to be remembered that the property was paying rates, and the road had to ne kept open if metal supplies were to be maintained. Cr. H, J, Hare said he was of the opinion that the Hauraki Plains County Council would contribute later on, when it recommenced carting operations. The resolution was carried.