PAVING MAIN ROADS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22135, 3 July 1937, Page 7

PAVING MAIN ROADS

FIVE-YEAR PLAN FOR ASHBURTON

LOAN FOR WORK DESIRED

The five-year plan for paving 87 miles of main roads in the Ashburton county was metioned at the meeting of the Ashburton County Council yesterday by the chairman (Mr F. Frampton), who said attention had been drawn to the det:rio:ation cf the Ashburton roads and the need for a plan to bring them up to a standard demanded by increasing motor traffic. The council's plan, he said, was to seal the following roads: —AshburtonMethven, 17 miles 23 chains; Ashbur-ton-Wakanui, 8 miles 4 chains; Tin-wald-Longbeach, 11 miles 12 chains; Tinwald-Mayfield, via Westerfield, 17 miles 40 chains; Tinwald-Maronan, 11 miles 23 chains; Rakaia-Methven. 21 miles 60 chains. The cost of the work at £2OOO a mile would be £174,025, of which the Main Highways Board would find £130,519, provided its approval was obtained. The council's share would be £43.506. The Main Highways Board would no longer lend to local bodies their portion of the cost. The Minister for Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) said ths Government was considering advancing money to local bodies for paving. When waited on last month the Canterbury Progress League promised its assistance. If the programme were approved, and if the money were available, the cost to the council over a term of seven years would be £7113 a year to provide interest at 3£ per cent, and sinking fund at 12.85 p:r cent, he said It might be possible to raise a loan for 10 years because of the longer life of the plam-mix work. The extended term would be more costly in the end. the annual cost being £.5220. Consideration could be given to the payment for the work out of revenue. By increasing the rate by 3-16 d tn the £ for five years, and by extending work in ord'r of one road 'each year, accumulated funds wou'd bo available to meet the cost each year That would save the council £6285 in interest charges. "While the work is of considerable magnitude and the cost to the ratepayers would be fairly heavy, I frel that the benefits which will accrue will be more than warranted." said Mr Frampton. Mr said that it was possible that th 3 council would take over the remaining road boards, and it would probably receive demands from the ratepayers for better roads. In the Mount Hutt and Rakaia Road Board districts the expenditure would be fairly high. Several other members considered the council should continue to approach the Main H'ghways Board, and this suggestion was adopted.