THE PROVINCIAL ENGINEER'S ANNUAL REPORT ON PUBLIC WORKS.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1080, 13 June 1873, Page 3

THE PROVINCIAL ENGINEER'S ANNUAL REPORT ON PUBLIC WORKS.

SOUTH-WEST GOLDFIELDS. The following is the Provincial Engineer's report upon the public worlis executed under his direction on the South-West Goldfields, during the twolve mouths ending March 31, 1878 : MAINTENANCE OF ROADS. Total expenditure £3,9SS 7s sd, of which the districts Buller, Charleston,, and Grey have the following amounts : £ s. d. Upper Buller ..'. ... ISO 7 5 Buller 1438 0 0 Charleston 520 0 0 Grey 1850 0 0 A great deal of this work has been clone by day labour, it being impossiblo to do much by contract, as the roads for the greater part needed as much making as mending, and the sums at command were far too small to permit of a contractor undertaking to keep any given portion in good repair. I have therefore confined the expenditure to those portions only that required immediate attention, repairing the worst places as they became nearly impassable. During the ensuing year it will be necessary to put a large sura down for maintenance, the new roads lately made by the General Government will soon fall into the hands of the province, and it will be necessary to make provision for their maintenance.

CONTRACTS FOB MAINTENANCE LEI". Per ann. 1. Thompson, Buller road ... £2lB 2. Thiel, road to Addison's ... 96 3. Dinniug, road to Brunner Mine 179 4. Weitzeland Co.,Razorback... 104 5. Robinson, Charleston to Brighton 150

Moore and Thompson have to keep the road from Thiel's on the Addison's road to the Lyell free from timber, scrub} and slips, and also have to repair bridge flooring. A large number of bridges arc now very old and will probably require renewing during the Winter, also a great deal of the road is Unmetalled ; from Grainger's point to Christy's is especially bad, and it is doubtful whether it will bo passable during tho winter. As the gravel is difficult to get along that portion of the road, it would take £3OO per mile to make a good road for horse traffic. At least four miles require to be metalled, which would cost £1,200 ; this might bo done a little at a time out of the maintenance of roads. The next three contracts, numbered 3, 4, and 5, will probably be carried out, but as I consider them very low there is a chance of their falling through during the winter. Thiel's contract terminates this month, and it will be necessary to advertise for fresh tenders. As the road is in bad repair, the ensuing year's maintenance will fjrobably cost considerably more than ast year's. A now line of road has been set out and the bush felled a chain wide throughout; this work, together with the cost _ of supervision, has cost £631 5s 7d. Contracts have also been let for the formation of a dray road along the felled line. Tho distance

being about ten miles, the work has been let in two mile contracts; the five accepted tenders, together with the coat Of supervision will amount to £3250. My estimates for the wdrk is £4OOO. DBAIT EOAD, AHAUBA T0 AENOLD. . The sum of £2OO has been paid to Messrs Cassidy and Ashton to meet equivalent amount expended on the old road to open it for wheeled traffic. The main line of road is now being made by the General Government and will be open in about three months' time, which will relieve the Government from the heavy and unsatisfactory expenditure which has hitherto been necessary to maintain the old track near the river in a passable state.. FOOT TRACKS. Expenditure, £251 3s. 4d. The works executed consisted of a track from Nelson Creek to Ahaura, four and a half miles, and a track from Hughes' near the Old Buller Diggings to the netv Landing, six and ia quarter miles; also, a short track was cut to avoid a bad ford in the Inangahua> near David Wallace's. I would reccominend the Government to place £2OO on the Estimates for foot-tracks for the ensuing year. DISTRICT EOADS. Expenditure £434 4s Of this sum £3GI was spent in metalling andYorming the remaining portion of the Totara Flat road. There is now a good metalled road all through the Flat ; £33 10s. was spent in repairing the horse-track south of Brighton, and the remainder in small sums for improvements to outlying track. As the extension of the up-country diggings will doubtless necessitate the construction of several branch roads, especially in the Lyell district, I would advise the Government to place £SOO on the Estimates for this purpose.

STREETS AND LOCAL IMPROVEMENTS. Expenditure £579 3s. 6d. £SOO of this amount has been expended in Reefton streets, and felling bush, clearing Camp Reserve &c, aud the remainder in repairs and minor works at Westport, Charleston, and Ahaura. I would recommed the appropriation of £6OO for these works during the ensuing year. It would be necessary to spend about £2OO at the Lyell if the reefs progress favourably, and about the same amount at Reefton. Westport will require at least £l5O, and the remainder will be spent at Charleston and Ahaura.

PROTECTIVE WORKS, WESTPORT. £236 3i. 9d. has been expended; this was chiefly in additions to the existing groins. I have not thought it advisable to recommend any sum to be put on the Estimates for this purpose this year, as I do not consider any small sum would do the slightest good, being of opinion that no protective works will be of any permanent value that are not commenced near Wake-field-street, and continued downwards the whole length of the bank desired to be protected. Isolated patches of groining or breastwork are, in my opinion, in the present state of the river likely to do more harm than good. I understand that Westport will shortly be declared a municipality, the corporation can then take the matter up, and devise a comprehensive scheme. WESTPORT STREETS AND REMOVAL OF GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS. £2,667 9s 3d. has been expended, and a balance of £250 still remains due to Bull and Bond on the contract for removal of the Buildings, making a total cost of £2,725 9s 9d. for the work done up to the present time. All the buildings have been removed and erected on the new site, with the exception of the Athenaeum and the Transit Shed —the former of which has been erected temporarily for the convenience of the public on one of the reserves for tramway, opposite Nel-son-street ; the latter has been removed from the river bank, and will also be erected temporarily on one of the reserves, in some position to suit the Collector of Customs. There is a great deal of work still required to put the buildings and surrounding grounds in proper order, but that work can be done mainly by the prisoners. HARBORS, SIGNAL STATIONS, &C.

Amount expended, £4l-13s 7d.. The greater portion of this amount has been expended at Westport. The opening of the now channel necessitated the removal of the flagstafF and signalman's house, which have been erected on the lower end of Garden Island. A number of snags have also been removed from time to time as brought down by the floods. As the Ngakawbau is now becoming a coal port, I would advise the erection of a prober flagstaff and the appointment of a signalman. Estimate for ensuing year £SOO. BTTILDIN'GS. Amount expended, £1365 7s Bd. The following new buildings have been erected:—

Total ... £IO6B 0 0 Tho remainder of the expenditure has been for general repairs. As the expenditure during the ensuing year will be entirely for maintenance, with the exception of the balance duo on the removal of buildings contract, I consider £IOOO will be sufficient to place on the Estimates.

GEKERAL EEITAECS. There arc a great many subjects of local interest upon which I have not touched, n fl I could -not do so without making the report of undue length ; but before concluding I may add, that the numerous discoveries of coal in the neighborhood of Westport and Ngakawhau will very probably cause considerable increase of work to tho department. Shipping are now coming to the Ngakawbau for coal, and I would advise the erection of a signal staff there immediately, and the appointment of a signaltaan. Coal has been found in immense quantities on the northern slopes of Mount Frederick, one seam showing a nineteen feet face of coal in several places. Seams have also been found at Cascade Creek and the Waimaugaroa, proving beyond doubt the great extension of the coal measures. With either a railway to JNgakawhau, or light-draught steamer to work the bar, Westport would be in a position to do a great coal trade, for which the sheltered position, and depth of water of the bar, admirably adapt it. A. Dudley Dobsok, Provincial Engineer.

Courthouse, Eecfton 9& 8. 598 10 u. 0 Aliaura Police Quarters... No Town „ „ 150 0 30 0 0 0 Enlarging Iteefton Lockup Fittings for Court, Beefton 70 0 CO 0 0 0 Grey Signal Station 110 0 0 Stable, Eeefton ... 49 10 0

ESTIMATE. LAND AND PUBLIC WOEKS Provincial Engineer and £ 8. d. Chief Surveyor 400 0 0 Two Clerks of "Works ... 500 0 0 Consulting Surveyor ... 175 0 0 Assistant Surveyor, Nel- . son ... ... • ... 200 0 0 Draughtsman ... 250 0 0 Assistant Surveyor, Grey 2/5 0 0 Assistant Survey or, Westport 250 0 0 Engineer Contingencies 150 0 0 Survey, Labor, &c. 2500 0 0 Clerk in Land Office ... iso 0 0 Land Office Contingencies Total ... A 25 0 0 :4<875 0 0 PUBLIC WOEKS . Government Buildings £ s. a; ..(E.G. £210) 400 0 0 G-overriment Wharves'... 400 0 0 Hospital (E.C. £90) ... 200 0 0 Buildings for Lunatic and . Boor ... 50 6 0 Bridges, Maintenance . (EC. £380) 1000 0 0 Hiirunni Bridge... 500 0 0 Main South Eoad 500 0 0 District Eoads, &c. (E.C. £50) 200 0 0 Collingwood Goldfields... 200 0 0 Belorus Eoad (E.C. £12) 120 0 0 Protection to EiverBanks (E.C. £50) 200 0 0 West Wanganui Eoad .. Total ... i 175 0 0 3945 0 0 PUBLIC WOEKS, SOUTH-WEST GOLDFIELDS. £ s. d. Maintenance of Eoads ... 4000 0 0 Hope to Matakitaki 4000 0 0 Obiki Hill 1500 0 0 Streets and Local Improvements (E.C. £130)... GOO 0 0 Harbors, Snags; &c.j ... 50O 0 0 Foot Tracks 300 0 0 District Boods ... 500 0 0 Buildings (E.C. £250)... 1000 0 0 Cemeteries 200 0 0 Horse Eoad, Lyell Creek 400 0 0 Eoad to JSTo Town—improving for drays 200 0 0 Wire Boot Bridges,Buller Eoad ... ioo b 0 Eeefton to Black's Point, Horse Eoad ... 200 0 0 0 £13,500 0 Land and Public Works 4875 0 0 Public Works, Settled Districts 3945 0 0 Public Works, Southwest Goldfields ... 13,500 0 0 Total ... £22,320 0 0