CITY WORKS

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21050, 29 December 1933, Page 9

CITY WORKS

ACTIVITIES OF YEAR SEALING OF ROADS j A report on the activities ox the I City Engineer's department, pre- I pared under instructions from Cr. j J. W. Beanland, chairman of the j works committee, which was ' issued yesterday, states that tar sealed roads in the city have been ' increased by about six miles during the year. In addition to this other roads have been prepared for sealing and will be treated before winter. "This year has seen the completion of the machinery and electricity contracts of' the council's abattoir at Sockburn, so that the abattoir is now in full working order, having been remodelled and brought up to the latest hygienic standards," the report states. "In addition to this there has been the painting and repairs to the old buildings, including the caretaker's house, extensions to the ventilation system in the hanging hall, and the concreting of the old yards and traffic ways," Other works attended to were the painting of reserves buildings, the erection of the Addington tennis pavilion, the Godley plot alterations and improvements, additions to Spreydon and St. Martins libraries, conveniences at Waltham Park and the Takahe, minor alterations to the women's rest room in the square, a design for a house for Methven, and specifications of the work for the St. Albans open-air swimming bath. "The numbers of building permits issued at the commencement of the year were amongst the lowest recorded," the report states, "but the fillip given by the Unemployment Board's building subsidy scheme has markedly revived and increased activities of the building trade, although it may be still said to be well below normal as compared with previous years." Improving Street Surfaces. Work carried out on the city highways out of revenue during the year included an increase in tar sealing by some six miles, the report continues. The total length of paved roads is now about 102 miles out of a total mileage of approximately 250. About 22 miles of maintenance work on paved roads was carried out. "Some 11 miles of the worn macadam streets have been scarified, regraded, and in places strengthened by building up with new metal, blinded, and screened," states the report. "Most of these roads are now fit for sealing, and it is hoped to do a number of them in the near future during the summer and autumn, when the weather is most favourable for such work." Street widening was carried out in several streets, the most important being the completion of the west ] side of Stanmore road north of London street, the widening of St. Albans street opposite Rutland street, the rounding of the western corner of these two streets, and Ashgrove terrace, which has been widened north and south of Duncan street. In addition to street widening, more than 30 street corners have been rounded off. "The only loan work done during (he year was the reconstruction of Manchester street from Lichfield street northwards, the section from Lichfield street to Worcester street being finished and the remainder well formed," the report continues. "With the completion of this thoroughfare the whole of the £220,000 highways loan will have been expended, and as there are other thoroughfares that require re- j construction the City Council recently applied to the Loans Board and received-authority from them to raise the extra 10 per cent, permissible, namely, £22.000, for the following works:—Riccarton avenue, throughout; Colombo street (Hereford street to the square and the square to Armagh street): Ferry road (Madras street to Fitzgerald avenue). "It is proposed to put these works in hand as early as possible, as soon ns arrangements can be made with the Tramway Roard regarding their tracks, and with the other utility authorities concerning their particular services." Unemployment Works. More than half the necessary filling on the McCormack's Bay and Mount Pleasant causeway has been done and a commencement is to be made on the bridges immediately after the holidays. The filling for the estuary road, from Ferry road bridge to Linwood avenue, has been completed for about one-third of the total length, and a narrower road which is being widened has been carried through to the end adjacent to Linwood avenue, where the required culvert will be constructed early in the New Year. So far 27,100 cubic yards of filling have been put into this job, including 2200 cubic yards of hard rock used chiefly for the estuary retaining wall. "Half of this reserve 212 is being leased to the Returned Soldiers' Association for a soldier settlement, and a party of about 80 returned soldiers is now working levelling the site and doing other preparatory work connected with the scheme," the report continues. "In addition, relief workers have been employed generally in cleaning and grading roadsides, of road widening, and on the scarifying and regrading of streets. Apart from the relief work, the general routine of the department, including maintenance, repairs and cleansing of streets, footways, channels, bridges, and drains, and the collection and disposal of dust and refuse and nightsoil has been carried out. Water Supply. "The waterworks branch of the department has had a busy year, more particularly in regard to maintenance. Because the original mains and services in Ferry road (Fitzgerald avenue to Madras street) were badly corroded, they were replaced by new pipes. The services in Manchester street (Lichfield street to Oxford terrace) were also overhauled, repaired, and replaced as necessary, this being done because of the proposed reconstruction of the roadway in this thoroughfare. "To avoid the necessity of frequent flushing and to improve the water supply, many dead ends were eliminated by cross connexions, and this work is still being proceeded with as opportunity offers. A new reinforced concrete building to serve as a joint pump house and electrical sub-station was erected

at the Beckenham pumping station, and a new pump was installed. "A start has been made with the erection of a reinforced concrete suction tank in Fitzgerald avenue, and tenders will be invited in the near future for the erection of the pump house. Various new mains and services have been laid, and owing to the increase in building activities as well as to the lack of rainfall a considerable number of water connexions have been made, the present total to November 30 being 22,648. Town Planning. "The zoning scheme has been completed, submitted to and revised by the City Council, and recently forwarded on by the council to the Town Planning Board at Wellington for its examination, consideration, and criticism, before the public enquiry to be held locally to hear objections, etc., in accordance with the terms of the Town Planning Act, 1926, preceding what is termed the final adoption of the scheme. "Finally it may be mentioned that the unemployment relief work entails quite a considerable amount of work upon the staff beyond the ordinary routine of the department, which more than offsets the reduction in other, directions of the department's services, consequent upon the financial depression. Much work has, as usual, been carried out for other departments of the City Council, and economies have been effected by deferring the filling of vacancies that have occurred from time to time for various causes from staff activities, until such a time as the increasing work necessitates these vacancies being again filled."