YEAR’S ESTIMATES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 807, 30 October 1929, Page 6

YEAR’S ESTIMATES

AUCKLAND HARBOUR BOARD BIG PROGRAMME AHEAD The Auckland Harbour Board, in its estimates for 1929-30, provides for an expenditure of £192,065. This will include new works, continuance of works in progress and general port development. Of the total sum proposed to be spent £156,300 appears on tile loan account for works requiring consideration and works authorised and in progress, and the remainder on general account including £1,600 for works commitments, £23,165 for works requiring consideration and £II,OOO for contingencies. Provision is made on the loan account for a refund of £89,514 to general account. The hoard’s proposed expenditure includes the following items for consideration: £67,000 on the western section of the viaduct joining the city waterfront with the Freeman’s Bay reclamation, £1,500 on launch landings and offices at the Eastern Viaduct, £5,000 on the lay-by and repair wharf and £4,000 on a pile-making crane. VIADUCT COMPLETION The works authorised and in progress are: Western reclamation £42,000, completion of eastern section ol’ the viaduct £23,000, completion of the western vehicular ferry £6,400, and completion of a portion of the Mechanic’s Bay breastwork £6,900. The board’s estimated revenue for the year ending September 30, 1930, is expected to be £386,000. This is made up as follows: Admiralty subsidy £5,000, rents £56,000, goods wharfage £155,000, vehicular tolls £4,000, shipping charges £78,000, crane dues £44,000, dock and slipway £8,500, storage £16,500, lighting £3,300, water £9,000, miscellaneous £6,700. On the loan account estimates one item was approved at the meeting yesterday—£l,soo for launch landings and offices on the Eastern Viaduct. A sum of £5,000 is being asked for by the engineer to start work on the lay-by and repair wharf on the Western reclamation. This wharf is expected to cost £45,000, but only the preliminaries will he donethis year if the estimate is approved. The £67,500 which is being asked for for the western section of the viaduct does not include the swing bridge which, in all probability, will he done next year. The electrification of the Rangitoto beacon, for which £1,500 is estimated on the general account, will require a submarine cable to he laid from Takapuna.

The ordinary receipts amounting to £386,000 are based on those of last year. A deduction, however, has been made in sympathy with the present quiet period in commercial circles. Payments on interest and sinking fund of £196,000 show an advance of £15,200 over last year’s estimates.