No money for new Roads Board work in county districts

Press, 17 March 1977, Page 3

No money for new Roads Board work in county districts

Wellington reporter The National Roads Board will spend SI26M during 1977-78, a rise of S2M on the forecast budget it released last December, but this extra money will still not permit it to approve any new works in the counties, and is still well short of the total the board feels that it requires. The failure to approve any new works in the county sector is the first time that the board has had to limit its funds in one sector to resealing and general maintenance. Since the forecast budget last December, the Government has announced an extra 1c per litre tax on motor spirits for the board as from April 1, bringing the board’s take from the motor spirits tax to 5c per litre.

Total allocations of S62M to State highways, $25.9M to counties and S2IM to municipalities were approved by the board. Mr G. McLean, representing the Counties’ Associations, said the fact that no new works for counties had been recommended anywhere in New Zealand showed what a plight the board was in. The assistant Director of Roading (Mr R. B. Fisher) said there was a huge backlog of construction work awaiting approval, and generally it was the biggest and most expensive projects which had suffered the most. “Our funds are a political matter and the politicians must accept responsibility for not increasing the board’s

funds in line with inflation,” said Mr R. L. Whyte, representing the private motorist. The Mayor of Port Chalmers (Mr J. S. Thorn) said the emphasis would have to go on the holding and the rehabilitation of existing pavements.

The chairman of Strathallan County (Mr A. D. Talbot) said the inflation in the cost of roading materials in recent years was the main reason for there being no money left over for construction.

“The situation the board finds itself in is almost impossible, and there are two factors which make it even more sombre and sobering,” said the Government

member for Hamilton West (Mr M. J. Minogue). “There is going to be a tremendous escalation in the costs needed to cope with more and heavier containers on our roads, and we also face the great extra burden following the redirection of heavy goods from rail on to the roads as part of deliberate Government policy."

The board has allocated about $500,000 to Automobile Associations throughout the country for signposting, but the board will advise the associations that their 1978-79 allocation is likely to be pegged to the 1977-78 level.

Each year the board makes an allocation to each Automobile Association, but was alarmed to discover that the

total allocation has risen from $226,119 in 1971-72 to $500,725 in 1977-78, which is still $33,000 less than the associations sought. The associations will be told to concentrate on maintenance rather than replacement in future.

The Marlborough association will get $lB,OOO instead of the $22,500 it sought and the $14,396 it got last year, Nelson will get $21,00 instead of $22,500 and $17,636, Canterbury will get $39,400 insteau of $57,000 and $35,826, and South Canterbury will get $B6OO instead of $11,200 and $7819.