‘ UNFAIR TO SOUTH”

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29909, 24 August 1962, Page 13

‘ UNFAIR TO SOUTH”

Roads Board’s Expenditure

The South Island had not received its farr share of expenditure by the National Roads Board, said Mr T. D. Flint, secretary of the South Island Publicity Association, yesterday after analysing the figures in the report of the board for 1961-62.

In the year, the North Island received £16.006.729 from the board for maintenance and construction of State highways and as subsidies and grants to local bodies, and the South Island £6.054,054. he said.

That was 72.56 per cent, for the North Island and 27.44 per cent, for the South. If the calculation was on population, then the South Island should have had 30.02 per cent. It it was on the number of vehicles registered, the percentage should have been 32.45. Expressed in percentages, the difference did not appear eireait, Mr Flint said, but when it was translated into money it meant that another £569,168 should have been spent in the South Island on a population basis and another £1.105.245 if the calculation was based on the number - of vehicles. Mr Flint examined the figures for the last five years, and said be had found that in every year the South Island had not had its fair share of expenditure. On population, the South Island would have received another £2.393,772 in the five years, he said. On the number of vehicles, the South Island should have had another £4.031,075. "Given another £4m, which appears to be our just right, we could have had the road tunnel, the Colombo street - Moorhouse avenue grade separation, and a good part of the northern outlet provided without extra cost," he said. Mr Flint intends to have his figures discussed by the association’s conference and by the conference of the South Island bocal Bodies' Association.