NORTHERN MOTORWAY Reserve Funds May Be Used

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31196, 21 October 1966, Page 12

NORTHERN MOTORWAY Reserve Funds May Be Used

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, October 20. The Northern motorway project may be kept moving by the National Roads Board by use of special reserve funds, according to the chairman of the board (the Minister of Works, Mr Allen).

The reserve fund was established in spite of some Government resistance to meet cases such as have developed on the Northern motorway.

Mr Allen confirmed tonight that a mild winter and efficient programming had ensured that the motorway programme was well up to schedule. He denied that bad planning had brought work to a virtual halt. The present situation, he said, was because of the mild winter which had put the project well ahead of’ schedule. During discussion on estimates late last night he| assured Mr H. E. L. Pickering (Govt., Rangiora) that the? approaches to the new Wai-| makiriri motorway bridge be-1 tween Chaneys corner and 1 tram road would be ready; when the bridge was com-? pieted in the middle of next? year. Serious Situation Mr J. Mathison (Opp., I Avon) said last night during; discussion on estimates that!

the situation on the Northern motorway was serious. He referred to a letter sent by the Kaiapoi Businessmen’s Association of the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk), which asked why work on the Christchurch motorway had stopped while work on the Auckland motorway was pro- ; ceeding. I Mr Mathison said that work on the Christchurch motorway had stopped, apparently for lack of funds. He suggested ■that the first thing to ensure was continuity of work. Mr Pickering said there had been many delays to the motorway in the early stages. There was some concern among Kaiapoi people that motorway money would be diverted to Auckland. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Mr Watt) had promised contributions to the Auckland Harbour bridge and motorway which would amount to £2 million.

i “These people feel sure that money will be diverted if Labour becomes the Government,” Mr Pickering said. “They want the Minis-

ter's assurance that this will not happen under a National Government.” Mr Allen said that while the Government was in power and the present National Roads Board was in office there would be no attempt to draw off funds to finance works in Auckland.

“I will give an assurance that no men will be put off,” he said. “The work will be continued, and the situation will be watched, although the work will not be speeded up. Christchurch may have to get extra money to make sure no men are put off. That, of course, would be a National Roads Board decision.”