THE HEATHCOTE COUNTY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22318, 4 February 1938, Page 5

THE HEATHCOTE COUNTY

♦ EXTENSIVE TOUR MADE BY COUNCIL INSPECTION OF RIDINGS Councillors and officers of the 'Heathcote County Council made an extensive tour yesterday when they conducted their annual inspection' of the county. The Bexley river-bank, along which is being built a wall of concrete from demolished buildings reinforced with chassis frames, was first visited, the party being met by Mr H. M. Hall, of the Bexley Residents' Association. Mr W. Scarff, the County Inspector, explained that the concrete was obtained at the cost of cartage only, .and that the top of the structure, which is on the west side of the river and on the south side of the Brighton bridge, would be covered with soil and planted with twitch and later with tamerisk trees. The wall is some chains long, and at places the water below it is 15 or 16 feet deep. Val , tflll ear . A stop to inspect two delightful gar dens was made on the route to the Aranui Hall, where the party was received by Mr E. Rowse, a former Heathcote councillor, who is now chairman of the -Aranui Burgesses Association. The hall was inspected, ana the councillors, who were very Pleased with its smart appearance, declared it to be a great asset to the district. Councillor Congratulated After inspecting a section in Shortland street which had been offered in lieu of rates, the party went to the Avon yard, where the brightly-col-oured garden aroused much congratulatory comment. Mr W. Kerr, who is the councillor for the Avon riding, had many tributes paid to him and his men. The next step in the journey took the councillors to the canal reserve at the extension of Linwood avenue, where the work on the canal caused much interest. The clay excavated was noted to be particularly good, and a suggestion that it should be used in road-making in other ridings was taken up. Mount Pleasant was then visited, and the new Cole subdivision aroused much interest. Work was in progress on the road, and very hard rock had been excavated; but now the road was well on its way. Dr. Sandston, chairman of the Mount Pleasant Ratepayers' Association, received the party at his home and discussed local body amalgamation problems. At the foot of the Bridle path towards Heathcote, the cars stopped at a narrow and dangerous bend which will be widened and tar-sealed. Mr F. W. Freeman, councillor for the Cashmere riding, suggested that to do this a cutting should be made into the side of the hill and a brick wall built. At the site of the proposed Heathcote domain, men were working, excavating rock and levelling soil. A concrete tunnel built to drain away water was the subject of many tributes paid to the relief workers who made it. The proposed tunnel road would run alongside this park. Mr A. R. Bloxham. of the Lyttelts#»-Heathcote Domain Board, met the council on the domain. A Deputation's Protest Work on the Port Hills road, which is being widened by 16ft 6in for about three-quarters of a mile from the corner of Opawa road to Avoca Valley, and work on the top of the road on Murray-Aynsley Hill, which had been widened, were inspected. Returning to Opawa road, where the,work of widening the road by Bft 3in was in operation, the party was met by a deputation of the Opawa-Hillsborough Burgesses' Association, led by Mr H. Jarden. Mr Jarden strongly disapproved of the permission granted to a lead-smelting works to build a shed which, he said, did not comply with the regulations. He also appealed against the use of an open furnace at the smelting works, and declared that lead poisoning would soon be rife and would not be confined to human beings but would also affect animals and plants. The council held that this-was a matter for the Health Department or the Government to deal with. The footbridge at Birdwood avenue afforded the next discussion. It was decided that any matters pertaining to it were in the Christchurch City Council's hands.