Counties cut road works

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33873, 19 June 1975, Page 16

Counties cut road works

(From Our Own Reporter} . WELLINGTON, •June 18. County councils in New Zealand asked for 213 supplementary roading items worth $2,820,631 but had only six items worth 8116,531 approved by the National Roads Board at its meeting in Wellington today. Several counties had voluntarily reduced their approved subsidy rates to achieve larger programmes of work within the existing allocation of board funds. "The net result of such moves is that a greater share of the cost of subsidised works is borne by the ratepayer.” said the assistant director of roading with the Ministry of Works (Mr R. B Fisher). "While this is unfortunate, we believe that the counties involved have taken a responsible course bv not allowing the maintenance and improvement of their roads to be limited by the availability of National Roads Board funds.” “SERIOUS” He said it was noticeable in manv programmes that the funds allocated had been sufficient onlv to meet maintenance and bridging, and that' construction works had been comnletelv omitted. “This is an extremely serious situation,” said Mr Fisher.

i Roads had to be upgraded jto service the rural community and to provide the transport routes so important .to the primary economy. 1 The board approved total ' estimates of $972,240 for the in Nelson and Marl- • borough. ; Awatere County has special assistance bridging proi grammes operating, which ' had provided for the renewal > of Blairich Bridge at S 3 for I SI. The estimated cost of this had increased from $39,000 to S"5,000. and an increased . subsidy of $4 for SI had been j requested. The board declined; ; 'to raise the level of subsidy,! ( but said it would review its j decision within six months, i Total estimates of $770,033 i i were approved for the West ; iCoast counties, and Westland; jCountv was advised that, ini . view of the size of its pro-! I gramme, if it wished to > accelerate the construction of! I the Rose Creek bridge it; should do so at the expensei i of a construction item. | 5 ESTIMATES •: North Canterbury' had li total estimates of $384,055 • approved for its counties. ‘ The Sloss No. 2 and Drain f bridges in Waipara County were approved for a subsidy of $2 for SI. but a number of protects in the Glenmark ‘ area received subsidies of ! s.’ for $2 or S 3 for S 4. Total estimates of i •I $1.174,134 were approved for 5 the counties in central Canterbury — including $3000; for a safetv footpath in ■ Arthur’s Pass, which had r been given prioritv by the: District Roads Council. 1

Work on the Upper Dyers Pass Road, due to begin in 1977-78, will cost $150,000 and has received a subsidy o' $3 for $l. The same level of subsidy will apply to maintenance and reseaiing work on the Summit Road. Work in Waimairi County on Peer Street, Wairakei Road, Grahams Road. and Prestons Road will all receive a low level of subsidy. CONCERN The overexpenditure in 1974-75 in the Akaroa. Chatham Islands, and Malvern ‘counties had been slightly in ! excess of the allowable 10 [per cent, but was approved I bv the board for carryover I into the 1975-76 years. South Canterbnrv counties I has a total estimate of I 933 annrnved. i The hoard expressed con- ■ rem that funds allocated to ; Ashburton Countv for bridg- ‘ ’ng renewals had been rei duced from $66 nno at fore|cast time to $25,000 at this i stage. Mr Fisher said Ashi burton was one of the few

i counties, if not the only one, to transfer moijey from bridging to construction to employ its labour force fully. Strathallan County in South Canterbury has substantially increased its maintenance work above the level set at forecast time. The board said that this had been at the expense of bridge renewals, and the result was that the county now had no construction programme.