WAIWAKAIHO WEIR.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 July 1920, Page 7

WAIWAKAIHO WEIR.

THE QIfeTJON OF CONTROL. TARANAKI COUNTY DISCUSSION. The quotient' of the Waiwakaiho river weir \Vas under consideration by the Taranaki County Council at tliekrionthly meeting yesterday. The Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister of Pußlic Works, wrote advising that he had carefully considered the representations made to. him at Wellington by the chairman. He was advised that the weir formed part and parcel of the structure required for the maintenance of the roadway, and it must therefore be placed in the custody of the local authority in charge of the road, which he understood was the Taranaki County ■ Council. On perusing the file of papers he found that the Government had contributed liberally towards the cost of works required through the county having ajlowed boulders to be removed from tlie river bed a,nd thereby exposing the foundations of- the bridge, which the weir had been specially constructed to protect. The engineer-in-chief had reported that the abutments of the weir had bee!i constructed as substantially as Ijimds would allow, and that it would probably be better to eft'ect repairs from time to time than incur the heavy coat of indestructible abutments. The estimated cost of repairing the damage caused recently by floods was £l6O, and an authority for £IOO had been issued to the Council on 3rd ult. as a contribution by the (government towards the repairs. "The bridge and weir," stated the Minister, "are situated in a closely settled district close to the town of New 'Plymouth, and I regret that I am unable to recommend the Government to accept responsibility for the maintenance of the bridge or weir." The letter also intimated that the Department had .no suitable wire which it could place at the disposal of the Council for repairs.

A letter was also received from the Borough Council agreeing to contribute throe-sixteenths of tile cost of the protective works at the weir, (he Council's contribution to lie limited to £37 10s.

The chairman reported having made another appeal to the Department to re-consider the above decision, but no further advi/B had yet eome to hand.