BOROUGH HIGHWAYS.
o CONDITIONS OF SUBSIDY. EXPLANATION BY ENGINEER. The question of main highways through boroughs was introduced at Thursday’s meeting of the Paeroa Borough Council by the the reception of a circular letter from the chairman of the Main Highways Board (Mr F. W. Furkert). Accompaying the circular \va(s a copy of a resolution of the board, which included all boroughs of a population of less than 6000 persons at the various highways district, and also a copy of a resolution declaring the continuance of main streets through boroughs of less than 6000 inhabitants to be main highways. The circular stated, inter alia : “ On the declaration of the .streets concerned in your borough as main highways the whole of the powers vested in your council in respect to them were transferred to and vested in the Main Highways Board, in accordance with section 9 of the Main Highways Act, but in accordance with the same section the board, by resolution, on February 24 last, delegated the whole of the powers referred to to your council. Your council is, therefore, in control of the streets as hithertofore. Up to the present your council hais received from the Main Highways Board a subsidy for maintenance, which has been based on the expenditure by the county council adjoining the borough, but as from February 24 your council will receive from the Main Highways Board a subsidy of £1 10s for £1 on all maintenance expenditure, except that the board’s sub>sidy will jn case of streets of a greater width than 66ft. be limited on a 66ft. width. No susbidy 'will! be paid by the board on any expenditure on footpaths, curbing, or other item's not incidental to the maintenance of the roadway. In addition, the board’s subsidy will be available only on condition that the work done is of a satisfactory nature and the roadway kept in. a satisfactory condition. “ In, the past payment of the board’s subsidies has been made without examination of books and vouchers for the reateon that the amounts payable were based on the expenditure by the county council, but in the future it will be necessary for the board’s officers to have access to your council’s books and vouchers for the purpose of checking claims. Separate accounts should be kept in respect of each main .highway, and all claims for subsidies should be made on forma M.H.8.4,, a supply Of which will be made available by the board’s representative who is in all cases the district engineer of Public Works. Claims for maintenance should be rendered regularly, preferably at intervals of not more than three months.. It will be necessary for your council to supply to the board’s representative at the commencement of each financial year an estimate of the proposed amount to be expended on each section of main highway within the borough for the ensuing financial year to be included in the annual estimate schedule submitted to the board for approval. Such applications should be submitted in form giving the name of the main highways, the sectional description of same as well as the length ; the nature of the work proposed, the quantities of material required and the rates proposed to be paid ; the number of men proposed to be employed with the rates of pay ; and any other relevant information not covered by the foregoing. In regard to the rates of pay, the board’s subsidy will not be paid on any higher rate than the award, rate of the Arbitration Court ruling in the particular district concerned. In addition to paying a subsidy of 30s for £1 maintenance of a general nature, the board has defined tar and bituminous surface treatment generally referred to as ‘ sealing ’ as maintenance, and •a ssusidy of £1 10s fo.r £1 is available on any approved expenditure on work of this class.”
The Mayor said that the new rogations represented, a distinct advantage, and it meant that the work done by the council on main highways was now placed on a proper footing, and the council would be able to collect Yl- 10s for every £1 expended on approved maintenance, and £1 for £1 on ■approved reconstruction work. In answer to Cr. Edwards the Mayor explained that the additional, money would come largely from the petrol tax.
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Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5253, 19 March 1928, Page 4
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718BOROUGH HIGHWAYS. Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5253, 19 March 1928, Page 4
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