Mayor seeks approval for roads projects

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 527, 15 March 1994, Page 6

Mayor seeks approval for roads projects

Mayoral column by Ruapehu District Mayor Garrick Workman Three public meetings were held last week to discuss a proposal for seal extensions and other related road improvements. The meetings were held in National Park, Raetihi and Taumarunui in order to obtain a range of opinions from around the district about this proposal. During the Ward tours around the district last year there were many requests from ratepayers and residents to extend seal on metal roads and improve or upgrade the roading network generally. Bearing in mind the fact that Transit New Zealand will not subsidise projects of this nature where the cost benefits are low, now or in the

foreseeable future, the di strict has no option but to fund seal-extension or road upgrading programmes itself. The presentation of the proposal was undertaken by mayor Garrick Workman assisted by chief executive Cliff Houston and technical services director Bruce Dobson. The proposal centres around a 16-year period of seal extensions which would result in a further 1 15km of district roads being improved and sealed at a cost of $16 million in total at the rate of expenditure of $1 million per year. The expenditure would be funded by the raising of loans which would be repaid from a roading improvement rate.

The use of loan funds would make the project affordable as spreading the cost over a rolling 20-year period would ensure that future as well as present users would pay for the improvements. The district could not afford to fund a meaningful programme

purely out of revenue due to the varied and other heavy demands on the rating system and the constraints on increasing rates. Although opinion at the meetings was divided on the indicative proposal it appeared to me that the majority of those attending

the meetings favoured the development of a roading improvement programme funded on a loans basis. I will be seeking further public comment on this issue with a view to Council discussing it as part of this year's annual planning process.