GENERAL RATE REDUCTION

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27666, 24 May 1955, Page 7

GENERAL RATE REDUCTION

REPORT TO WAIMAIRI COUNTY COUNCIL BIGGER PROGRAMME OF WORKS Waimairi County Council intends to reduce its general rate for the current financial year over the greater part of the built-up area of the county, although it has entered into a large programme of works and improvements have been carried out in the last year. This was announced by the chairman, Mr F. W. Walter, at a recent meeting of the council. Although the council envisaged a reduction in its own rates in some areas of the county, he said, it was able to make provision for an even greater works construction programme in the current financial year. This increase did not include the extensive loan development works programme which would be proceeded with in the fendalton, Harewood, Marshland, Middleton, Styx, and Wairarapa ridmgs th® county this financial year. The chairman listed the following works programme which would be undertaken out of available rate moneys:—Road sealing, 13 miles 4 chains; new footpaths, 4 miles 27 cbaips; new kerbing and channelling, 2 miles 16 chains; footpath resealing, 16 miles.

The council's high-pressure water supply scheme would ultimately supply the whole of the built-up area of the county, he continued. Material progress in launching the scheme would be seen in the next few months with the construction of a pumping station at the Jeffreys road yard and the laying of water mains in the streets. Tenders for the supply of the necessary pipes would be let by the council within the next few days, and orders had been placed for the purchase of trench-digging equipment. The chairman gave the following details of construction and maintenance work completed by the council’s staff in the last year:—road sealing, 10 miles 25 chains; new footpaths, 2 miles 53 chains* new kerbing and channelling, 2 miles 38 chains; resealing footpaths, 10 miles 30 chains. These figures, he said, did not include loan works carried out in the Wairarapa and Middleton ridings in the last few months. The works carried out from these loan moneys included road sealing, the construction of kerbing and channelling, and the construction of new footpaths. The chairman said that contracts had been let for much more loan work, but unfortunately the cement shortage had prevented the contractors from starting these works. The construction of kerbing and channelling and footpaths in Ham and Greers roads had been delayed by this temporary cement shortage.