PORIRUA CROSSING

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 69, 14 December 1935, Page 10

PORIRUA CROSSING

Council’s Previous Offer Not Renewed

FIRST TO BE ELIMINATED Proposals were in hand for the elimination of level crossings throughout New Zealand, stated a letter from the Main Highways Board, read at a meeting of the Makara County Council yesterday. The board said the Porirua crossing would be the first to receive attention; the cost would be approximately £13,000. Attention was drawn to an offer of the council to contribute £lOOO toward the cost of elimination when the matter was under consideration 10 years ago. It would be recognised that the council had an interest in the matter, and the board inquired if the council’s offer still stood. There hud been many changes in the last 10 years, said the chairman, Cr. R J Mexted. Petrol tax had increased rapidly, and there had been a great increase in. the cost of maintenance of other roads. He would move that the council inform the board that the offer could not be renewed, giving the following reasons: That the council considered the elimination of crossings was a national question; that if it was necessary for local bodies to contribute, all bodies should do so, irrespective of locality; that the incidence of taxation had changed, and the council could not now afford to renew its office. He had supported the previous offer, said Cr. E. Windley, but conditions had changed greatly since then. Many ratepayers had then been against the council’s offer of contribution, and he had now definitely changed his view. He would not support the renewal of the council’s offer. The work was to be done for the protection of the road users, and they should pay. In past years the council had hoped to be relieved of road expenditure by the increased taxation of road users. But the burdens of property-owners had gone on. The great majority of ratepayers did not use the crossing, and he would oppose further burdens being placed on them. Cr. Mexted's motion was adopted unanimously.