Concrete roads would help N.Z. Cement

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32458, 19 November 1970, Page 20

Concrete roads would help N.Z. Cement

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN, November 18.

Because of greater economic life and lower maintenance costs, the Government should be considering the advantages of concrete roads, Mr L. C. Nisbet, chairman of New Zealand Cement Holdings, Ltd, said in Dunedin today.

“The increasing dependence on road transport means that New Zealand is now faced with the problem of modernising and strengthening much of its lightly constructed reading network so that it can cope with increasing traffic and heavier loads.” He told shareholders at the company’s annual meeting that Government should give priority to the use of cement or hydrated lime for soil stabilisation which would provide an economical and firm foundation for modem highways. Mr Nisbet said that the cement industry was concerned that the total consumption of cement in New Zealand had remained virtually static for some years,

and it did not appear that this year’s, output would show any marked increase. Patches of intense building activity in any given area showed a misleading picture of the Industry as a whole. "In an expanding economy, cement manufacture is normally regarded as a growth industry for the demands for cement are insatiable. “However, this growth has been curtailed in New Zealand and the 1969 figure is only 2 per cent in excess of that for 1964. "It raises doubts whether New Zealand is the dynamic country that we have been led to believe. Perhaps we are only kidding ourselves that this is so,” said Mr Nisbet. The building advisory council had made it quite clear that there was a direct and continuing relationship between the level of activity in building and construction and the national economy. “We are concerned lest the Government in its efforts to dampen down inflation - imposes further curbs on the building and construction industry, which seems to be a prime target for such action.”