Roads Board To Spend Extra $3m

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31657, 18 April 1968, Page 1

Roads Board To Spend Extra $3m

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, April 17.

The revised budget of the National Roads Board for 1968-69 has been increased by $3.02m compared with the provisional allocations made last December. Expenditure of $68.99m has been approved, compared with $6720m in 1967.

Allocations for each sector for 196869, State highways, county and municipality, are all in excess of those for last year.

“State highways were sl.lBm or 3.5 per cent underspent, counties $0.35m, or 1.9 per cent, and municipalities $0.45m or 4.5 per cent,” he said. “A further $200,000 was accounted for by the deferment of payment to the electric supply account in respect of Tongariro roading, this amount being offset against the works which have become necessary on State highway 6 at Lake Hawea. “While this under-expendi-ture is disappointing, it is by no means large considering the sums involved. “No Risks” “It must also be remembered that the small reserve of sl.4m originally budgeted for did not allow any room for error, and the need to ensure the fund remained in credit inhibited the board from taking any risks when allocating additional funds during the year,” said Mr Reynolds in his submission. The meeting today was the first occasion on which the National Roads Board discussed an annual budget and allocations in private. It was also the first time that details were not made public of amounts to be spent on particular projects within each district. Petrol Revenue Information of this nature was made available at the Roads Board meeting when provisional allocations were announced last December. It is understood that financial uncertainty concerning petrol revenue, and the general economic situation, are responsible for this—together with the determination of the board not to provide information too much in advance to contractors.

The budget and allocations announced today have increased

land Harbour Bridge, $0.20m for the Lyttelton Tunnel Authority, $0.20m for Tongariro roading, $0.24m for access to the steel mill, and $0.40m for subsidised highways. The estimates will not be approved by the board until June. Call Tenders Because of this, and because the improved allocations will require an increase in the tempo of construction, districts are advised to call tenders for priority works in anticipation of the estimates The board also approved a proposed three-year programme for state highways, allocations for this year being based on provisional allocations. and those for 1969-70 being increased s2m to equal the revised budget for this year. A 3 per cent increase has been provided for 1970-71 The board’s allocation committees will be considering the estimates between June 5 and 7. To enable the roading division to process estimates in readiness for the committees, districts have been asked to submit their estimates by May 23. Year’s Surplus In his submission, presented in committee, Mr Reynolds said that income for 1967-68 exceeded the estimate by $1.47m, and expenditure was $2.55m less than allocated. The result at the end of the year was a balance of ssm—"considerably larger than planned.

the December State

highways budget by sl.BBm, the county sector by $0.71 m, and the municinality sector by $0.43m.

The board agreed to reduce its reserve funds by slm, which will be allocated to districts at its June meeting. The Assistant Director of Roading (Mr P. F. Reynolds) recommended that each district prepare detailed estimates, on the basis of the primary allocations, and also submit supplementary items for each sector in order of priority. State Highways State highways have been allocated $341 m. compared with a provisional allocation of $32J2m, and the 1967-68 allocation (as amended after the interim budget) of $33.4m. The proposed counties allocation for 1968-69 is $17.13m. compared with the provisional allocation of $16.42m, and the 1967-68 allocation of $16.82m

The planned grant for 196869 for municipalities is $9.87m, compared with the provisional allocation of $9 44m, and the 1967-68 allocation of $9.72m. Miscellaneous expenditure has been raised to $5.64m. from the provisional allocation of $5.34m.

Expenditure in this sector includes slm for the Auck-