NO GOVERNMENT GRANT

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21802, 6 June 1936, Page 16

NO GOVERNMENT GRANT

REPAIRING OF FLOOD DAMAGE

DISAPPOINTMENT IN TWO COUNTIES

WORK BEGUN ON EXPECTATION OF SUBSIDY The refusal of the Government to grant assistance to the Ashley and Kowai County Councils in the repairing of damage to roads Mid bridges in the recent floods has caused keen disappointment, especially as repair work has been going on for some time on the understanding that the counties would receive a subsidy of £3 for £1 on damaged roads. The Ashley Countyconsiders that if it has to bear the total cost of restoring its county roads an increase in rates will be probable, and the chairman of the Kowai County Council (Mr R. Peach) declared that it would be impossible for his county to bear the expense of repairing all its roads. 1

After the floods, in which the roads and bridges of both counties suffered severely, joint representations were made to the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) through the member for the district. the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes. The counties prepared a tentative statement of the damage in their districts, and forwarded it to the Minister through Mr Forbes, with a request for assistance. The reply has just come to hand. Minister’s Reply In his letter the Minister says: “I hfhve to inform you that a careful study has been made of the whole of the circumstances attaching to the flood damage which occurred in the Canterbury district. In my opinion it should not be beyond the resources of the respective county?! councils to meet the cost of repairing roads and bridges. This conclusion has been forced upon me only after a close study of the statements prepared from county balance-sheets. In the circumstances I regret I am unable to let you hive a favourable reply to your representations.” The Ashley County understands that a Subsidy of £3 for £1 will be granted on the repairing of main highways, but that, according to the reply of the Minister, it will have to bear the cost of making good the county roads. The damage to these roads is estimated at £7OO and to the main highways in the county, the Rangiora-Oxford and LobufhWhiterock highways, at £BOO. “Rather Alarmed” “We are very disappointed, in fact, rather alarmed, at the reply,” Cr. H. T. Metherell. until recently chairman of the Ashley County Council, told “The Press” yesterday. “Ours is a comparatively poor county and it is highly valued. The Government valuation is above the productive value of the land. If we have to carry the whole burden ourselves the expenditure of £7OO is going to have a serious effect on next year’s rates. As this is a hilly county, the damage by the flood was serious in proportion to its area. “After forwarding our statement to the Minister we proceeded to carry out repair work, expecting some help. The repair work was inevitable and necessary in justice* to our ratepayers,” he continued. “It doesn’t seem r altogether fair that Little River should have received assistance in its flood, while we don’t. I believe that the Wairewa County was carrying a fairly heavy overdraft at the time. We have had a credit of about £SOO, and it seems as if counties which manage their finances well are penalised for it,” cCncluded Cr. Metherell. Subsidy Expected The Kowai County Council began its repair work on ,an assurance from Mr F. Langbein, district public works engineer, that it would receive a subsidy of £3 for £1 on all roads, said Mr Peach. He was much against the decision of the Minister and considered that it would be impossible for the county to carry on the repair work if it had to bear all the burden. Flood damage in the county, which was hardest hit of all. was estimated at between £3OOO and £4OOO. Several bridges had been washed away, and the cost of renewing one over Stony creek would be £6OO alone. County workmen were now engaged on repairs to roads to allow residents access to their properties. If the county had to pay for the restoration of all its roads, Mr Peach thought that rates would have to be doubled or trebled, and already some farmers were behind in their, rate payments and were forced on to relief work. Moreover, there was the additional burden of the new bridge over the Ashley, of which the Ashley and Rangiova Counties would have to pay 40 cent; each.

“We will certainly protest against the Minister’s reply when we hold our council meeting next Friday,” added Mr Peach.