Rural roads neglect ‘would be foolish’

Press, 13 June 1986, Page 2

Rural roads neglect ‘would be foolish’

PA Dunedin It would be "shortsighted and foolish” to neglect maintenance of roads in New Zealand’s rural communities, said the Minister of Works and Development, Mr Colman, in Dunedin yesterday. Delegates at the Counties’ Association conference told him they were having problems finding enough money to pick up National Roads Board subsidies. Ratepayers are telling councils they cannot afford increased rate demands. But if the Roads Board money is not used by the authority it is originally given to, the practice has been to reallocate it to other authorities. Mr Colman said he was aware of the downturn,

and the effect it was having in the rural communities and on rural contractors. The situation would be reviewed next week, and dealt with in depth at the July meeting of the Roads Board. Meanwhile, he had asked councils to supply “honest information so that we can tackle the situation correctly.” Forestry demands were becoming a problem of increasing concern to the board. Rural local authorities were approaching the board for assistance to meet demands being placed on them. “It has been suggested that if it is good enough for a timber royalty to be paid on native forests for roading purposes, this may be the best time to consider whether such a system might not be appropriate in the 1980 s to cope with roading demands of our maturing pine forests,” Mr Colman said.