RIDGEWAY ROAD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 206, 1 September 1936, Page 12

RIDGEWAY ROAD.

WAITAKERE PLAN.

QUESTION OF COST. AUCKLAND CONFERENCE. The proposed Ridgeway Road on the Waitakere Ranges was further discussed at a meeting of the Auckland City Council last evening when the Mayor, Mr. Ernest Davis, recalled that the Government had offered a subsidy of £78,.">00, out of a total of £93,000, and that local bodies in the area hail expressed willingness to contribute towards the sum of £14.f>00 to be found by local bodies.

"T suggested that the Government give legislative authority to the council to raise the required sum of £1-1,.">00 for a period not exceeding ten years, and empower it to t;i>ke the responsibility for collecting the proportion for which the contributing local authorities had made themselves liable, by taking from them a debenture under the same conditions as that on which the £14,500 would be raised," said Mr. Davis.

"The suggestion was welcomed by the Minister of Finance, who made arrangements for the Treasury to facilitate the granting of the authority sought. It was subsequently arranged that, subject to the council's confirmation, drafts of the legislation required would be submitted to the Department of Internal Affairs. I recommend the council to instruct the city solicitor to prepare the necessary drafts accordingly. Arrangements were made with the Prime Minister for the Minister of Public Works to visit Auckland and confer with representatives of the interested local bodies at a meeting which I undertook tentatively to call for September 7."

The Hon. B. Martin suggested that the reallocation of cost should be considered as some of the local bodies would not contribute.

Mr. H. P. Burton asked how far the City Council couhl go in tlie matter. That raised the whole matter of a metro : politan committee, and the sooner they wiped out the local bodies and liad a Greater Auckland the better it would be.

Mr. A. Rosser said that the proposal should be regarded from a national point of view.

The Mayor said that there had been no delay, .and the matter had been pushed on.

The Hon. B. Martin said that the work should not he held up and they should reply to the Government that the £14,f>00 would be found; and they should do everything to get the other local bodies to face up to.their responsibilities.

The Mayor's report was adopted. It was decided to take action to raise the whole amount, the finance committee to take steps to sec what contribution would be given by other local bodies.