PUBLIC WORKS BUDGET

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 803, 25 October 1929, Page 13

PUBLIC WORKS BUDGET

VOTES FOR CURRENT YEAR ROADS AND TOURIST RESORTS IUE SU2i f S Parliamentary Reporter WELLINGTON. Today Money required for public works j throughout the Dominion is outlined : in the statement presented by the j Minister, the lion. E. A. Ransom, to : . ning. The total amount required under the Public Works Fund is £6.083.339. Last , year the amount voted under this head- . ing was £0,083.898. of which £ 4,774.104 was spent. The following amounts are required J under separate accounts:—Alain High- ; ' ways Construction Fund, £1,200,000, estimate; £1.615,1&3 for Railways lm- i provement Authorisation Act, 1914 ; Account, a decrease of £354.517: Education Loans, £427,000, a decrease of' £17,000; Hauruki Plains Settlement j Account. £34.500. (Nothing was voted I last year, but C 17,989 was spent). Rangitaiki Land Drainage Account (on which £15,133. was spent last year). ; £5,500; Swamp Land Drainage Ac- ' count, £57,000. No sum appeared on last year's estimates for this purpose, but the sum of £42.412 was spent. This year £5,001,339 is required for the General Purposes Account of the Public Works Fund. Last year £4,661,898 was voted and £3,538,691 was spent. j Following are the items under this heading, last year’s expenditure given in brackets:—Public Works (departmental). £150,000 ( £142,176); railways I construction, £1.603,000 (£1,002,872): | additions to open railway lines, £554,839 (£213.405); public buildings,! £413,500 (£213,505); timber supply j and sawmills for Public Works Depart- j mom. €7,000 (this item has a credit of ? £5,115); acquisition and operation of . quarries, £15,000 (this item also has a credit of £6,030): lighthouses and harbour works, £25,000 (£17,063); development. of tourist resorts. £36,000 (£39,254); immigration, £55,000 (£50,266); construction, maintenance and supervision of roads, bridges, etc., £999,000 (£533,577); telegraph extension, £600,000 (£624,414); contingent defence, £60,000 (£67,652); lands improvement, £115,000 (£85,861); irrigation, water-supply and drainage, £86,000 (£55,197); transfer to Main ■ Highways Account Construction Fund, j £200,000 (£200,000). RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION There is a considerable increase in i the amounts required for railway construction. For the* Okaihau-Rangia - ! huu section £170,000 is required and j £156,000 for the Dargaville branch. ; Nothing has been estimated for the ; Paeroa-Pokeno railway, though £2.000 was voted last year. A new item is a i vote of £135,000 for the GisborneWaikokopu line. The estimate for the Napier- Wairoa line is £399,000. last year’s expenditure being £247,965. Only £7,000 appears for the Rotorua - Taupo line. Last year £75,000 was voted and £35,701 spent. Another fresh estimate is one of £45,000 for the Wharanui-Parnassus section of the South Island Alain Trunk line. Thirty-two thousand five hundred pounds is required to purchase additional land at the corner of Lambton Quay and Bowen Street, Wellington. A new wharf at Taupo is estimated to cost £2,620; the Auckland Magistrate’s Court extensions. £3B; and the Auckland Supreme Court Library extensions £2,000, and the Hamilton Courthouse, £14,000. f PRISON AND POLICE STATIONS A metal-crushing plant and buildings at the Auckland Prison are estimated to cost £SOO. Alterations at Waikeria Prison Farm (sanitation and drainage, etc). £1,370 (£2 was spent last year)- There is a vote of £5,100 for additions to the Central Police Station at Auckland. AUCKLAND POST OFFICES Suburban post offices at Auckland aro voted the following sums:—Grey Lynn, £2.500; Alcunt Albert, £2.500; Newmarket, £7,000; Newton (additions), £3,500; Northcote, £2,000; Upper Symonds Street, £5,000; Pacific Cable Board's depot, Devonport, £715; j Wellesley Street automatic telephone exchange, additions £7l and lighting and power £475; Birkenhead site for | office, £475; New Lynn, £2.100; j Papakura (petrol tank). £65; Rotorua, £ 450 f Taumarunui. £5.000; Thames, £5,000; Whangarei. £5,000. ! An amount of £7,000 is estimated for j j the Auckland Mental Hospital land and buildings. St. Helens Hospital, Auckland, is to be voted £4.000. The Tryphena Wharf, Great Barrier Island (£ 2 for £ 1 subsidy) receives | a grant of £I,OOO. IMPROVEMENTS TO ROTORUA Rotorua receives a good deal of atj tention under the development of tourist resorts. Additions to main buildings £2OO, drainage works and watersupply £1,500, electrical works and telephones £6,000, improvements of reserves £ 500 and reconstruction of bath-houses £IO,OOO. TELEPHONE EXCHANGES i The construction of telephone exchanges is estimated to cost £465,000. Nothing was spent last year. Telegraph and toll systems are to be voted £195,000. though no • sum appeared for this last year. DRILL SHEDS Under the Defence Estimate £5,000 is to be set aside for drill-sheds, etc., at Waikato, and airdromes receive a vote of £90,000. Harbour defences are estimated to cost £IO,OOO. HYDRO-ELECTRICITY The Arapuni hydro-electric scheme ! received £226,000 and the Horahora ; extension scheme £6.000. The Hamilton Borough Council is to be paid £I,OOO on account of damage to machinery caused by the turbidity of the Waikato. For working expeinses and maintenance £59,000 is to be voted to the Horahora and Arapuni schemes. MAIN HIGHWAYS Largo sums are to be voted to the main highways in the Auckland Province. Alost of this money is subsidised. Following are the principal amounts; Tho Auckland-Holensville section receives £10,819; Auckland-Aluunga-turoto. €72,749; Dargaville-ATaunga-turoto, £10,212; Helensville-Waiwera, ; €534: Kaikohe-Omaperc, £1.163; j Kawakawu - Alangamuka. £4.329; Alaungatapere-Kaikohe, £3,500; Wha-ngarci-Dargaville. £5.668; Whungaal rci-Ka\vakaWii £8.344; Great South Road. £81,040: Ilamilton-Rotorua, £3,887; H owick-Manure w.« , £1.174; Alatamata-Tauranga, £6,700: Alount Albert-Royal Oak £1,000; Itinmureliowiek, £ 6.700.