“More Money Needed For Roads Programme”

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28835, 4 March 1959, Page 12

“More Money Needed For Roads Programme”

(From Our Own Reporter)

TIMARU, March 3. To maintain its programme of major construction on New Zealand’s highways, bridges and outlets to cities, the National Roads Board urgently needed more'money, Major N. A. Rattray, a member of the board, told a meeting of No. 15 District Roads Council in Timaru today.

Major Rattray said that if more finance was not available within a short time, major projects in cities would have to be reduced “to a tempo which, I am sure, will riot be acceptable to them. There will need Jo be a review of construction work in the whole reading system. This, I think, would be disastrous.”

The Auckland master transport plan alone was expected to cost about £l6m within the next five to seven years. “We have only spent £400,000 on that particular item, so far, and if Auckland is going to go ahead as she wishes, the impact is going to be heavy on the board’s funds,” he said.

Hamilton was anxious to put a new bridge across the Waikato river and the proposal to divide traffic using the WellingtonNgauranga and Ngauranga-Lower Hutt highways could not wait until the Auckland plan was completed. On the WellingtonNgauranga section, the traffic density was 21,000 vehicles a day and on the Ngauranga-Lower Hutt route the density was 16,000 vehicles.

“In your own district, you have plans for the northern motorway outlet from Christchurch, and Dunedin plans a southern outlet from the city boundary. Here in Timaru, thfere is the major item of the reconstruction of the main street. All these are urgent matters causing the board concern.

“Where is this mor.ey to come from? The board cannot touch funds for maintenance or flood damage, and it could not come off general subsidy rates to local authorities, or reserves for bridge renewals—the tempo of which is all too slow, anyway—and it could not come off administration.” Budget Tax on Petrol The board was concerned about the Is imposed by the Government on petrol by way of a general tax, he said. “It has been suggested that the board should borrow, but I do not think that would be correct. In any case, I do' not believe we would get it. The pressure on loan money is so great that we would not get very far. “We have to exist from year to year by way of annual income. A Id on petrol represents, at the present rate of usage, a little under £1 million.

“If we can get an extra Id in one year, it would immediately relieve the first pressure. If we could get 2d the following year and 3d the third year, the problems of city works would be largely overcome. I am not suggesting the petrol tax should be

raised higher than it is today. We would like it to come out of the fiscal Is.”

Major Rattray said that under the National Roads Act, the board must produce a comprehensive survey of the roading position in New Zealand within five years of its establishment in 1954. There was a further obligation under the act to advise the Government of any changes deemed advisable in the provision of finance necessary for road construction and maintenance, and particularly of any change considered advisable in the levying and collection of motor taxation.

“The survey is now under way, and should be completed by the end of May this year,” said Major Rattray.