PAEROA-POKENO LINE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5433, 10 June 1929, Page 3

PAEROA-POKENO LINE.

MINISTERIAL INSPECTION. ROUTE TRAVERSED. The case for the construction of the Paeroa-Pokeno link of the railway system was proved to the Minister of Railways, the Hon. W. B. Taverner, on Thursday, when rhe’ inspected. the proposed route and heard representations from all interested parties between Pukekohe and Tauranga. The Minister was accompanied by the ? Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, Minister of Health, and Messrs A. M. Samuel, M.P. for Thames ; A. W. Hall, M.P. for Hauraki; W. Lee Martin, M.P. for Raglan; J. N. Massey, M.P. for Franklin; H. R. Jenkins, M.P. for Parnell; G. C. Munns, M.P. for Roskin'; W. R. Davidson, assistant chief engineer, Railways Department; F. S. Dyson, district engineer, Public Works Department, Auckland ; A. P. Grant, assistant engineer, Public Works Department, Paeroa ; R. Aickin, private secretary. Mr C. E. Macmillan, M.P. for Tauranga, joined the party at Paeroa. At Pokeno the party was met by Mr W. Marshall, Mayor of Paeroa, and Messrs H. J. Hare, F. Perkins, representing the Pukekohe Chamber-', of Commerce ; J. Woodcock, president, and several members of the Pokeno Chamber of Commerce. At Maramarua: several local -settlers joined the party, and at the Hauraki Plains ■ boundary, where the first stop was made, Mr C. W. Harris, county chairman, extended a welcome. For the greater part of the way betweeri Pokeno and the boundary of the Hauraki Plains County the proposed route follows the main highway. Its location was pointed out by Mr A. P. Grant, who travelled from Pokeno in the. Minister’s car. The estimated cost is in .the neighbourhood of £1,020,000, and the line will, of course, be built up to main line standard. For this time of ■'the year the country traversed looked remarkably well. The Pokeno Valley looked particularly well, and gave an indication of how productive all the rolling hill country on either side of the road would be when cheaper fertilisers, which would be 'made permissable by the advent of the railway, made it an economic proposition to use: on farming land. After leaving the valley the road passes through country that has not yet been brought jntp production, but throughout are signs that this is not far off. The numerous roads and tracks branching off from the . highway, itself quite a new road, showed-how settlement was pushing out into what are genuine back-blocks, but which with the advent of a railway will become prosperous farming districts. Nearer the Hauraki Plains County boundary, where the - , road passes through a low section of- the range of hills, can be seen the ploughed firebreaks through the State Forestry Department’s new plantations. If all the larid in this locality which has been.'provisionally reserved for. afforestation is planted, a railway will be essential for the transportation of timber, and even if that part suitable for settlement was thrown open for selection, as has been advocated, there will still be sufficient timber land to make the transportation of timber a problem for the State when,the time comes to cut it. , . k From near the Thames Valley Power Board’s plantation the route of the railway follows a valley to near Mangatarata. Some cuttings will be necessary between Mangatarata and the Plains, but this is a good feature, as they will provide spoil for forming the embankment over the peat. A bridge will be necessary over the Maukbro Canal. From this canal to Pouariia Road, where the deepest peat will be encountered, an embankment has already been made for the railway,'and this will now be consolidated. The line crosses Orchard West Road about a mile from the Ngatea post office, and passes through the farms fronting the main street to cross the Puhanga Canal near the present bridge. Bridges will be necessary over the Piako; River and the Awaiti Canal at Kerepeehi,'and over the Waihou River near the Puke bridge. Across the Plains there will be only one slight bend, near Ngatea, the stretch between Ngatea and Paeroa being dead straight, and one of the longest straight sections in the Dominion.' Plains Advocacy. At the County Chambers, Ngatea the county chairman, Mr C. W. Harris, tendered a welcome to the Minister and expressed the pleasure of the council at the opportunity granted it to state its hearty support of the railway and to urge its speedy construction. Mr J. Darlington, president of the Ngatea branch of the N.Z. Farmers’ Union, , endorsed the request and explained that the Hauraki Plains would in time carry the heaviest rural population anywhere in New Zealand when the railway was provided to give quick access to the city. Replying, the Minister expressed thanks for the welcome to the district. He had heard of the district for a long time, and had long looked forward to visiting it. Perhaps it was right that it was claimed to be the richest land in the Dominion, or at least richest in potentialities. He was pleased to hear a railway proposition put up which could compete with road 'transportation. When he had completed the tour he would have gained much first-hand information which he could discuss with his colleagues. The matter had received very careful consideration, and while there was no doubt that the railway would come, he would say that he did not have it in his pocket. The matter had already received very sympathetic consideration, and would undoubtedly continue to be very thoroughly investigated. After morning tea at Ngatea the party moved on to Kerepeehi, where a large deputation was assembled to jjoint out the • proposed station site just, beyond the racecourse and the vast area of Crown land awaiting settlement.