NEW OUTLET TO SOUTH

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22796, 23 August 1939, Page 7

NEW OUTLET TO SOUTH

RICCARTON ROAD ALTERNATIVE CONFERENCE OF LOCAL BODIES DISCUSSION ON SHARING OF ? ■" 'COST Little progress, towards, an agreement among local bodies about the allocation of the cost of the-local -bodies’ share of. the £62,000 it is proposed to spend on building a new outlet to the. south of > the city, as ian alternative to ■Riccarton road, w.as reached at a conference held in the city yesterday. Of the four local bodies represented, it was reported to the meeting that both the Waimairi and Paparua County Councils had voted against the plan to extend Blenheim road and maxe the new highway for through traffic, and the attitude ‘of a third body, the Riccarton Borough Council was, it ! was said, still indefinite, depending largely on the financial share the City Council, proposed, to take, of the local body part of the cost. :Thfe City Council itself was reported to be in favour ,of the road, and much of the discussion centred on the amount of its contribution. •'.■ v';-: *•'

- The: meeting finally carried a resolution which, without committing any of the delegates to full approval, nevertheless; recommended-'that. if it could be,; Arranged, that'.;the ; City Council isjould ,;bear. 50, per cent,- of the cost to be paid by the local bodies, the other councils concerned should- give the matter further consideration. Mr E. Parlane presided at the meeting, which had before it an outline of the Math' Highways Board plan for the Blenheim road, extension. This set the total cost of the work, without an overbridge which might also be necessary, at' £62,000, of which the local bodies were to pay £6695, the board to find the rest. It was intimated, too, that the money to, be found by the local bodies would T6€ spread over a payment term of five years. The attitude of the Paparua County Council was' expressed by its chairman. Mr T. O. Morgan, ' who said that his council considered that. in the £ 18,000 it had already spent it had done its share of providing paved roads.. The travelling public generally and not the county would benefit by the new road and bis council considered that the work should be regarded as a national job. Waimairi’s position was outlined by the chairman. Mr F. S. Scott, and.Mr C- E. Cross.. The i council had voted against the .plan mainly because of the cost, it was stated. The couhdl could hot flfad £2OOO fby the road without further rating,'and it did hot want to take that step. Moreover, It was considered that the new road might,.be of more benefit to' city and country people than to the county residents, and its cost therefore should be met out of petrol taxation. Riccarton’s attitude, said the clerk, Mr Hi Sarjeant. was larcley conditional on the action the City Council .would take. The council had as -yet

committed itself neither to support not reject the plan. The City Council received each year a lump sum from petrol taxation for reading, while counties and boroughs - received their payments only as subsidy for what was already done. Therefore, it was claimed that the city should give a lead In announcing how much it would contribute. There was some discussion at the meeting, too, about whether the Blenheim road proposal was the most satisfactory that could be found. Mr Cross spoke in favour of an alternative plan to bring the road through empty paddocks on the south of the railway line, and Mr C. G. McKellar adduced yet another plan, admittedly expensive, he said, which would obviate thfe removal of a flourmill near the Addington railway station. Some houses and. an oil company's depot, in any case, would have to be removed for the Blenheim scheme, it was reported. The chairman finally agreed that on the opinions expressed no. decision could be reached by the conference, and, although he said he did not support It himself, as he considered it Was asking the City Council to do too much, he put the recommendation sponsored by Mr Cross that further consideration be given by the local bodies on a suggestion that half the cost, be met by the city, and the other half divided among the other local bodies. •