MR BRUNTON'S REPORT.

Southland Times, Issue 1786, 29 August 1873, Page 3

MR BRUNTON'S REPORT.

Invercargill, 13th January, 1873. The Hon. E. Richardson, Minister of Public Works. Sib, — Ai instructed by the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer, I have the honor to report on the present Public Buildings in this town, my opinion 1 how they might be utillspd to the greater benefit of the public service, and the approximate expenditure necessary. I beg to append sketch map showing the present position of the various public offices alluded to. A is a large brick building, in good state of repair, 72ft. 6in. in length, by 39ft. in width, having one large room 4O feet by 20, and 6 smaller rooms averaging 14ft. square. It ia occupied al present by the Customs Department, and is far too large for the amount of work at present or likely to be for 20 years to come. It is some distance from the Land, Post, or Telegraph offices, and as the Customs Officer it also the Receiver of Land Revenue, persons doing business in the Land Office have to travel from one office to the other (often more than once) in all weathers, before they can complete it. B is a building of wood, erected 15 years ago, rotten, roof leaks everywhere, and building not worth re-shingline. Is used as Resident Magistrate's Courthouse ; has a room 37ft. x 18, Magistrate's room 18ft. xB, and a small lean to occupied as a clerk's office. No accommodation for witnesses or counsel. C is a building of wood, erected 11 years ago, in a fair state of repair, occupied by the Postoffice and Telegraph Departments. Although a more convenient structure could be erected, I do not think the efficiency of either of these public service! is affected by such a want. D and E are buildings of wood erected 11 years ago, also in a fair state of repair, occupied by the Land, Survey, Crown Grant, Registry, and Road Engineering Departments, 'also an Athenaeum, and at present I occupy two rooms as Publio Works offices, until required. I am of opinion that for tome years to come, these offices are sufficient for the conduct of the Provincial business ; if not, the two rooms occupied as an Athensenm, also the two roooms occupied by myself, could be made available. ' F is a brick structure, of good material and in good condition, having a room 39ft. x 27, and two rooms 10ft. x 11. It is used at present for Supreme and District Court sittings. It is totally inadequate ; there are no apartments for grand or petty juries, and the latter are marched by a policeman to the nearest hotel to consider their verdict . There is only one entrance to this building, through which judge, public, and prisoners must pass. The same may be said with reference to District Court sittings. G- is the Police Station ground, on which are sundry wooden buildings, above ground in a fair state of repair, but as they have been erected 11 years, and on piles, and as the earth all around is level with floors, I am of opinion that the foundation would be rotten. At present, however, they answer all purposes. The buildings stand on a half- aero section. A lock-up for prisoners should be erected on this site. H is a very old building, erected of logs, with a shingle roof, tota'ly out of repair, rotten and unsightly (standing directly in front of RailwayStation). It is used as a lock-up, and is in every respect unsuitable, first from its distance from police station, and second from its being badly ventilated, leaking, and in the condition above described. It is worth but little, except for firewood, and certainly not fit to keep a prisoner who has the faintest wish for freedom. I is an immigration barrack in fair state, having been lately repaired, capable of accommodating 8 families, 12 single women, and 12 single men, quite inadequate for present requirements. The above constitute the General and Provincial Government buildings, with exception of Hospital and Gaol, both very good brick ] buildings, and fairly adapted for their respective purposes, except the fence round the . Gaol | enclosure, which is inadequate to secure detention of prisoners. My opinion of utilising these buildings for the present, to the greater benefit of the public service, is as follows : — Ist. Make Custom House A, Supreme and District Court. 2nd. Make present Supreme Court, F, Town Council Chambers. 3rd. 1 should at once have?. a well digested plan prepared of a block of buildings capable of giving accommodation to the Customs, Post Office, Telegraph, Survey, Land, Crown Grant, Registry, Roads and Works, and Public Works Depart* j ment9, and Resident Magistrate's Court ; and on fixing site for such a block erect such portion of it as would at present suffice for Customs, Publio Works, and Resident Magistrate's Court only — to be added to as the present buildings become unfit, through age or want of accommodation, for the efficient discharge of public business. With regard to the site for such block of buildings, I have the honor to enclose tracing of what has been proposed. The reduction of the width of Tay- street from 2 chains to 1 chain in the very place where it naturally will have most traffic, and directly in front of Government buildißga, I cannot recommend ; and as the present railway station is a timber erection, and the time will come when a new one will be requiiMcj, which would not in my opinion be erected oh present site, but opposite Tay-street, the curve proposed should not be made, but the street left straight and of its 2 chains' width. The site which (subject to a condition to be named) I should recommend this block of buildings to be erected on, is shown on plan attached. I think it is one which would be convenient for the transaction of the" business that would be conducted in the'- building, from its proximity to the railway station, and its position in tho town . It would be also sufficiently distant from the main traffic that no inconvenience would be experienced by the noise that is always found in main thoroughfares. It would also, when complete, be an ornament to the town, and at some future time the surrounding ground might be embellished with plantations that would render it more secluded and quiet, which would be a desideratum to the inhabitants having business to transact in the public offices, and to the officers engaged in transacting it. The condition to the above is this. A portion of the Government Reserve is granted for an Athensßum, as shown on plan. If tbis be carried out, it would interfere greatly with my project ; but as the Corporation have many sites available for such, a purpose at their control, I should recommend the Provincial Government, when handing over to them the building F, to stipulate that a site should be given them for an Athenaeum. With regard to the amount at present required to carry out my views, it can only be approximate until the general building plans are made and estimated, but I should cay £1800 would be near the cost of present requirements in the erection of a portion of such structure, and building lock-up on police site ; and £500 for providing accommodation for immigrants ; total, £2300. In tbe above report, I have mixed up the General Government and Provincial Government sites, indeed I could not well keep them separate, but as I believe the interests of each are identical, I trust such will be excused. — I am, &c, (Signed) Wm. Bbtoton, M.lvst.,C.E.