NEW RAILWAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1920, Page 4

NEW RAILWAY.

WAITARA—AWAKINO PROPOSAL. •FURTHER SURVEY AS'KED FOR. During tlie past few months the Clifton County Council and settlers inland from Waitara have been moving to.have u survey made of the proposed,, railway extension from Waitara. .to, the Main Trunk line. In reply, the Public Works Department submitted a report dated Qciober, 10)2 (already published), stating., that after an inspection of the various routes the opinion was that the proper,route would be from Urenui along the,,main road until the Mimi-Valley was reached, thence along the,Mimi to the head of the va)ley until Mt. was reached, thence with a half-mile tunnel through the dividing ridge into the Mangapepiti creek, a tributary of the Tongaporutu, thence along the Tongaporutu River, crossing the river near the mouth, and "from this point keep along the coast right to'Awakino.

At Friday's meeting of. the Clifton County Council Cr. Jones pointed out that this was not the railway '"they wanted a report on, but one that ran more inland. The timber and coal at Mokau in the central portion, and the produce at each end, would be equal to' that of any rural district in New Zealand, and as the through traffic to New Plymouth would be great, it woUjd consequently be likely to pay. At the present stage all' that they wished to ask for was a survey and an estimate, fie then mirved: "That this Council thanks the Public Works Department, tlirough Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P., for the report sent re the Waitara branch railway extension to Awakino, but regrets that this report is not what this council and the other local authorities asked for. It asked for a new purvey 'from Waitara more inland, via the Mimi, Tongaporutu, Mangalora, Upper Mangaputawai, Mohakatino, to the Mokau River near .the coal fields, through to the trunk line; and this council still wishes to ask for such a survey and an estimate of costs."

Cr. Foreman seconded the resolution, which was carried, councillors agreeing that it would be worth finding out the cost before they could make up their mindg if the railway would pay.