Reading Estimates For More Spending

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31362, 6 May 1967, Page 22

Reading Estimates For More Spending

Estimates for a total expenditure of £2,835,166 on State highways and council roads in the No. 14 roads district were passed for the approval of the National Roads Board at the district local bodies’ annual meeting in Christchurch this week.

The estimates are £228,925 higher than last year’s estimates, and while they are subject to alteration by the board, they are within the board’s allocation for the district

This year's estimates for State highway spending total £896,000, compared with £761,000 last year. The county budget is £898,180, as compared with £907,175 last year, and the estimates for municipalities total £1,041,006, as compared with £907,175. The estimates, running to 34 foolscap pages, were shown o local body members in dol-

lars for the first time, and caused some confusion at first. Main items in highways spending, apart from £364,000 for the rural part of the northern motorway, include £57,000 for more sealing on the West Coast highway at Lake Pearson, and between Broadstream and the Bealey. “People who go to Arthur’s Pass will appreciate the new seal, but we would like to see the Broken river and Thomas river bridges behind us. They are very big jobs,” said the District Commissioner of Works (Mr D. B. Dallas). Of a total of £882,110 estimated for City Council works, the roads board is asked to find £391,000. On Riccarton borough’s proposed expendi-

ture of £35,800, the board is asked to find £16,400, and on Kaiapoi borough’s £21,196, grants and subsidy of £9784 are sought. A free grant of £40,000, the total cost of widening Norwich quay and making access to No. 7 wharf, is recommended by the Lyttelton Borough Council, as is a total of £10,500 from the board on the £14,000 cost of the new Marine parade at Diamond Harbour.

Riccarton borough’s expenditure includes £2900 for traffic signals and £6OOO for eliminating deep side-chan-nels on Riccarton road. In the 15 counties in the area, a total expenditure of £898,180 would be matched by £433,900 from the board. Major works which received approval included:— Akaroa, £13,845 for Summit road and eastern bays road reconstruction; Ashley, £27,000 for major reconstruction; Rangiora-Oxford via Loburn road, and £20,000 for Grey river bridge renewal; Halswell, £4250 for Mid-Lin-coln road reconstruction; Heathcote, £23,300 for improving Port Hills and Martindales roads; Kowai, £14,000 to renew Daalbeg bridge; Malern, £71,500 for new sealing and Lake Coleridge and Telegraph roads reconstruction; Mount Herbert, £12,610 for Gebbies Pass and Diamond Harbour-Purau reconstruction; Rangiora, £14,000 to reconstruct five miles; Waimairi, £26,200 for Harewood, Burwood and Sawyers Arms roads.