State highway budget slashed

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34027, 16 December 1975, Page 13

State highway budget slashed

A total budget of ss3m, sBm less than in 1975- has been approved for 1976-77 for State highways by the National Roads Board. : For the level of ss3m to be maintained in 1977-78 and 1978-79, the Board has said Government grants of. sBm and sl3m respectively, will be needed. I In producing this “holding ’budget” for 1976-77, the ’ Board' assumed that costs I would increase into the sec- ■ ond and third years at about 120 per cent a year, but to retain “some optimism for planning” the reserve against cost increases had been reduced to an effective rate of about 15 per cent a year. Maintenance forecasts totalled s26m, which represented a $4.5m or 20 per cent increase on the expected maintenance expenditure for 1975-76. The Board considered that some restraint was necessary to ensure that only the maintenance necessary “to preserve the existing assets to a reasonable standard” were provided for. Maintenance forecasts had been reduced by $750,000 to $25.25m, as an indication of the Board’s attitude, but it has asked its staff to check the implications of this cut. NO NEW WORKS To provide adequately for continuity of work in the programme and to maintain employment of road construction forces, the level of the Board’s commitment for 1976- would normally be between 75 and 80 per cent for the first year of the programme, and correspondingly less into the second and third years. The forecast budget would not allow the starting of any new works not already in progress, but the bridging programme would suffer substantial deferrals if the policy was applied.

Contractual commitments for the bridging programme in 1976-77 were at $3.7m, falling to sl.6m in 1977-78, and to $400,000 in 1978-79. Recognising that it had previously set a target of sBm a year for the bridging programme, which had been thought necessary to cope with the mounting structural problems on rural highways and the substantially increased commercial transport costs which resulted

from bridge-loading restric-i tions, the Board decided to; maintain the bridging programme at as high a level as the budget would allow. As a result, nearly all construction works which are not nearly finished or are subject to contract obligations have been removed from the programme. There are contractual commitments to the construction programme of $20.6m for 197677, $14.1m for 1977-78, and $9.4m for 1978-79. State highway allocations for Nelson-Marlborough in 1976-77 are $1,911,000 — including $1,035,900 for maintenance, $802,000 for bridging, and $73,100 for construction. And for Nelson, work on the Matakitaki River Bridge and the Waihopai Bridge dominate the bridging programme. Work on the Waima Rail Bridge, the replacement of Eight Mile Bridge, and the strengthening of the Wairau Bridge have been deferred. The total West Coast State highways allocation is $2,128,200, including $1,099,200 for maintenance, $1,007,000 for bridging, and $22,000 for construction. With the deferral of all the region’s construction work, the bridging programme' has been brought forward, and new items include the replacement of the Little Totara Bridge and the Swampy Creek Bridge, plus the strengthening of five other bridges. When the Buller Bridge is completed next year, work will proceed on the Stillwater Bridge. North Canterbury’s allocation is $942,500, including $595,000 for maintenance, $339,500 for bridging, and $B,OOO for construction. The replacement of the Greta and Cobolds Bridges, and the

Greta deviation, has been deferred, but the Rough Creek Bridge will be replaced and work begun on replacing three other bridges on State Highway 7. Central Canterbury’s allocation is $1,648,000, including $794,000 for maintenance, $lOO,OOO for bridging, and $754,000 for construction. Work will conI tinue on the committed portions of the Christchurch I Southern Motorway, but a : start on the three motorway overpass structures has been delayed. By delaying the start of the Thomas and Broken River Bridges and the widening of the Waireka Bridge, the replacement of Dry Creek Bridge and its approaches and the Ribbonwood Stream Bridge have been advanced. Many cuts The total South Canterbury allocation is $1,278,500, including $548,500 for maintenance, $462,000 for bridging, and $268,000 for construction. The completion of sealing on State Highway 80 this year and works associated with the raising of Lake Pukaki will be completed during 1976-77, but all other uncommitted construction works have been taken from the list. The commitment to the inland Rangitata Bridge and approaches will cost almost slm and dominates the bridging programme. “This programme concentrates the funds available on maintenance, bridge replacement, and committed works, which has of necessity required the curtailing of many works,” said the Ministry of Works assistant director of roading (Mr R. B. Fisher).