North Road plan ‘waste of money’

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32660, 16 July 1971, Page 10

North Road plan ‘waste of money’

It would be better to leave the Main North Road as it is than spend thousands of dollars on restricted widening at Belfast, said the chairman (Mr D. B. Rich), when the Waimairi County Council last evening discussed the refusal of the National Roads Board to widen the highway by an extra quarter of a chain.

The council decided that, if the board does not modify its decision, it would call a meeting of Christchurch members of Parliament to press its case for greater widening.

Mr Rich said that the council’s finance committee had a report after the board’s June meeting that it had no intention of widening the road to a chain and a half, and would go ahead with widening to a chain and a quarter in spite of the support the council had for the greater width.

The committee had authorised him to discuss the matter with the board’s chairman, the Minister of Works (Mr Allen), to express the council’s concern at the board’s decision, and to ask Mr Allen if he was fully informed.

“I telephoned the Minister and told him of the Drainage Board’s offer to pipe a drain at its own expense save for $5OOO from the N.R.B. and 10 per cent of the cost from the council. “I told him that it would be a complete waste of public money to go ahead, and that if widening to a chain and a quarter was all that could be done, the job would be better deferred,” said Mr Rich. “The Minister said that the board had been told that the proposals were extravagant, and that there was not enough money available. I asked that at least the most heavily used section of the highway. between Johns Road and Belfast Road, should be widened to a chain and a half. Firm decision

“The Minister said the board’s decision was a firm one—and that despite support for our view from the Ministry of Transport, the Regional Planning Authority, the Automobile Association and other bodies. “Since my discussion with the Minister, I have been even more concerned to receive from the member of Parliament for Rangiora (Mr H. E. L. Pickering) a copy of a letter he received from the Minister, dated prior to the N.R.B. meeting. In that letter, the Minister expressed doubts that the board would do anything. In spite of the opposition, we were wasting our time.

“The board’s decision means that a four-lane road will be formed with only two lanes effective (because of parking), and this is not good enough. I am hoping that the matters I have raised with the Minister will bear some fruit, but as things stand. I am in complete disagreement.”

It was strange that the board's decision was unanimous, in view of the opposition, said Cr A. A. Adcock. Either the council was quite unreasonable, or there was something wrong in the way in which the board had dealt with the request. Drains as excuse The excuse for not widening to a chain and a half was the drains on either side, said Cr G. G. Don. The Drainage Board’s offer now made no difference, and the N.R.B. obviously just did not want fuller widening. He was not prepared to rest at a chain and a quarter, which

would be a death-trap for turning traffic, and just bad planning. “The N.R.B. spends sBom of taxpayers’ money, yet is not the servant of anyone and is so aloof from the public that this council can’t get a deputation to the board, nor will it hear from the whole city,” said Cr I. Calvert. “This is not what we call democracy.” Cr R. C. Neville said the board was a responsible body and had a reason. The council should find out in what way it was said to be extravagant.