DIAMOND HARBOUR ROAD.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20729, 14 December 1932, Page 11

DIAMOND HARBOUR ROAD.

,i -♦ j COMPLETION OF MARINE I DRIVE. | SUGGESTED AS WORK POI j UNEMPLOYED. • i . i ■ i The Mount Herbert County Council : at its last meeting received a letter - from the Christchurch Unemployment ° Committee requesting it to undertake j the metalling of the now road from TedL dington to Diamond Harbour and Purau; and motorists state that there nxr few works on which unemployed labour j could be more profitably engaged, since j the road, when, completed, -will provide j ono of tho finest seaside drives wifhiv j reach of Christchurch. 1 Tho road, which -was formed by tie I Public Works Department at the aogi gestion of tho Mount Herbert CttOJQr; 1 Council, is under the control of tw* local bodies—the Lyttelton Borough :' Council and the Mount Herbert County Council. The Department, after fom- - ing tho road, left it to these bodieo s to carry out the metalling and finish- " ing work, and the Lyttelton Borough. 3 Council is now proceeding -with the work on its section. The rest of the road has been afleoted to some extent by the weather, win. having scoured tho clay surface in places. Though the road has suffered no great damage from weather vp te the present, it is stated that every effort should bo made to have it metalled and finished before next winter if ultimate expense is to bo avoided. The road in its present state is not veryattractive to motorists because of the number of gates across it. Though anyone may open these gates and pass through they represent a considerable " inconvenience for motorists. i County's Proposal. i Speaking to a reporter last evening s Mr E. W. Coop, chairman of tho Mount ■ Herbert County Council, said that i though no work had been done on the L road recently the weather had not dam- ; aged it to any great extent. The Connt cil had written to the Unemployment Board asking it to establish a camp for unemployed men so that the formation of the road could be put in order and the metalling proceeded with. The Christchurch Unemployment Committee was going to support the scheme and the Lyttelton Borough Council would probably lend its support. If it were decided to go on with the work the Unemployment Board could have the use of the County, Council's crusher and roading equipment and the work could be done immediately and cheaply. Otherwise tho state of the county's finances was such that it would not be I able to do anything to the road until . the end of the financial year. "The Council has really never taken ' the road over," said Mr Coop. "It 1 has never been asked by the PnbKe r Works Department to do so, though the c Department satisfactorily completed the task of forming the road." a Asked whether thero had been any s difficulty with the settlers through 1 whose property the road passed, in re--2 spect of compensation, Mr Coop aaid he knew of no such difficulty, for proper notice had been given that the land would be acquired under the PnbKfi Works Act for roading. Gates Across the Bead. Mr Coop was informed that a suggestion had been made that the settlers were keeping their gates across, the road in order to secure to themselves their legal rights of compensation, but he replied that tho gates were merely used for stock purposes —anyone could pass through. Regarding a report of the collapse or partial collapse of a holding wall on the road Mr Coop said he had not closely inspected the road lately, but he knew of no such damage having occurred. "The County Council," said Mr Coop, "is eager to get ou with the metalling of the Toad, and given ihe support of tho unemployment authorities, the work will be put in hand without delay. When it is completed it will be ono of the finest marine driven in the vicinity of Christchurch, and Us completion will provide more useful work for the unemployed than mueh of ■ the work upon which they have been engaged."