HIGHWAY TO AKAROA

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22430, 17 June 1938, Page 12

HIGHWAY TO AKAROA

PLAN EXPLAINED TO MINISTER “A SPLENDID IDEA” LOCAL BODIES’ FINANCIAL PROPOSALS "I am impressed with the scheme as being a splendid idea,” said the Hon. E. Semple, Minister for Transport, when replying to a gathering of members of the_ Akaroa Borough Council, Akaroa County Council, and Wairewa County Council, who urged on him the necessity of having the road from Christchurch to Akaroa widened, straightened, and paved and declared a State highway, at Akaroa yesterday.

Mr Semple said that he "could not give any indication how much the Government would be able to find for the v/ork. He would discuss the matter v/ith the Minister for Finance (the Kon. W. Nash), and urge its early consideration. It v/as a new job, and thus needed new money, as it could not come out of the grant to the Public V»"orks Department. He could not commit Mr Nash, as he had no right to do so.

The project was mentioned first by the Mayor of Akaroa (Mr F. R. E. Davis), v/ho presided, and said that the public bodies interested had proposed to put forward £IO,OOO if the road were taken over as a State highway and completed by 1940, when the centenary of the hoisting bi the British flag at Akaroa would be celebrated. Akaroa was not a big place, but had a large tourist traffic, and they felt that the tourists should be given every comfort and safety. It was further proposed to beautify the highway by planting trees along the whole distance, and he had already received letters from persons in . all parts of the Dominion offering to give trees and shrubs for this purpose. The idea was for the highway to end at the memorial on Green’s Point, where the British flag was first hoisted in the South Island. He suggested that it might be possible for the Government to make iron guards for the trees at the new works at Onekaka. Mr C. B. Thacker, chairman of the Akaroa Couhty Council, said that the present road was not satisfactory for farmers, as their stock was not infrequently damaged while being carted to the railhead at Little River for trucking to the Addington market. There was no railway at Akaroa, though was a railway reserve there, and he said that the line would apparently never be put through. ,If a good road was laid down there would be absolutely no need for a railway, and he was not urging the construction of one. Sharing Barden of Cost The financial arrangements proposed by the interested, local bodies were explained by Mr F, Coop, chairman of the Wairewa Coiaaty Council. A conference convened by the Canterbury Progress League had endorsed - ' the scheme wholeheartedly, and on Monday a conference had been held at Little River. The Wairewa County now had eight miles of construction tinder way.

“The Akaroa County has been very fair to us” he said, “They agree* that the road was carrying their /traffic mostly, and offered to come In on a 50-50 basis. It was proposed to offer to find £IO,OOO for the work. Of this the two counties would find £4500 each, and the Akaroa Borough would find the additional £1000,”

Mr Coop further mentioned that New" Zealand Railways’ buses were running over the road, and the scheme had the Minister’s approval. The Hon. H. T; Armstrong, Minister for Labour, had also been in favour of the scheme as a means of finding labour for the unemployed. The historical importance of Akaroa was emphasised by Archdeacon A, J. Petrie, who claimed that Green’s Point at Akaroa was the South Island's counterpart of Waltangi in the North Island. Akaroa was probably the smallest borough in the Dominion, and yet was prepared to find £IOOO towards the work. Mr Semple said that he ''illy realised that the historical significance of the area should be kept in mind, and as the borough had no railway it should certainly have a highway. “I' am deeply impressed with the ideal,, the people here should have every facility for getting in and outas cheaply, quickly, and safely as is practicable. I do not like some of theT - -corners, and I do not like the water, lam prepared to go the maximum with you to get this highway over the hill.”