“Bitumen war” saved maintenance money

Press, 26 February 1980, Page 18

“Bitumen war” saved maintenance money

Wellington Reporter The - bitumen war in C?- erbury has meant a big reduction in the costs of resealing roads. The money saved is available for further resealing, but the permission of the ■National Roads Board in Wellington is needed first. The arrival of a North Island firm. Road Development , Ltd. in Canterbury this summer has meant that the Ministry pf Works and Development and local authorities have not needed to spend all the funds allocated to re-

. sealing to get the ( work done. , Those who went ahead and spent the money saved without checking with the Roads Board first have been reprimanded. The Roads Board has the statutory responsibility to allocate reading funds, not local departmental officers or local authorities. But. as resealing is a high Roads Board priority, little real coh'cern ’ has been evident, '-particularly once the Government had. found an extra $lO million for reading last October. Until then the Roads

Board had been alarmed . about the costs of 'flood damage to roads and had been reluctant to .reallpi cate resealing funds. After receiving the $lO million I the Roads Board?? a'tti'tudaT became more liberal..' if y ..

r Only -one bid:,w~as made fqp la cottage at 474 Greers Road-' yesterday,, and the property? was passed in at auction fdfe $16,000. . The 1975 Government Valuation is $17,500. xThe house, which . requires? oration and painting, hasfwtj? bedropms. a sunroom, a arate dining room, an-d Trf laundry. It was auctibnett by Mr N. H. McCrostie of jH. McCrostie and Ltd, on behalf of the of the estate of the late Mr. A. E. Annear. . <■ A Little River ’ grazing block of nearly 4.2: hectares' sold at auction yesterday fpf $15,000. The 1977 GbverijJ ment Valuation is $19,950/ 5 The block, held in five titles, is in Church Road, ahif was auctioned by Mr C. Mei Auley of the New Zealantf Assol ciatiori, -Lid, for Mr Daniels. . The auction wast held after the Little Rivet! Ewe Fair. '

Property Mafet