DIRECT ROAD

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 90, 13 October 1922, Page 5

DIRECT ROAD

KHANDALLAH'S WEED

IMPROVED ACCESS WANTED

DEPUTATION TO CITY COUNCIL.

A deputation from Khandallah waited upon the City Council last night to urge that the district should be given better access from the city The new road now being constructed was, it was urged, not by any means a direct road to the district, although it provided a suitable means of getting to tho Homebush Estate. '

Councillor J. M. DaJe, who introduced the deputation, said he had tried to convince the residents that the new road was a first-class proposition, but they refused to be so convinced.

Major Smith said the deputation wished that the money being expended on the new road should not be debited against the loan of £7500 voted for improved access to Khandallah. The speaker traced the history of ths early roads constructed to the suburb, stating that the first road was really formed for military purposes. No improvement in the matter of access had been made since 1897, so was it any -yonder that the residepte were striving, and would continue to- strive, for a short and proper route to the district? When the Onsiow district joined the district much had been given to the city, but the return given had been little. The new road waß over a mile further away from the route it should cover, and did not receive the approbation of the Onslow Progressive Association. Ninety-five per cent, of the residents of the district were opposed to th© road which was now being made. The deputation held no brief for any particular route, provided it was direct and as level as possible. NOT THE ROAD VOTED FOB. Brigadier-General G. S. Bichaxdson said he represented the Khandallah, Progress Association. He could assure the council that the people of Knandallah did not object to the new road as a road to Hpmebush, but it was not the road for which the people voted in 1920. What they voted for was a direct road to Khandallah itself. General Richardson ' suggested that at the end of the financial year the "Progress Association ■should be allowed to submit to the ' council a list of works which it considered should be carried out. The council could then place sums on.the estimates for those works which it considered should be gone on with. He considered that things would work out much more smoothly if the association were taken, into the confidence of the council. There were engineering difficulties in the way of the council, he knew, but there were<■ engineers who held that the. route now being followed was not the best one to meet the needs of Khandallah.

Mr. H. H. Cornish stated that the Khandallah people' congratulated tho City Council on the purchase of Home-i bush Estate, but they -did not want to 1 be penalised by that purchase. The] route of the new road was circuitous andi the grade bad. It was not a proper' road for Khandallah. Unwittingly, the council had not done its best fot the people of that district in the matter of the road. The people admitted that the' en-l gineer had surveyed several routes, but full data had not been sought on all the! alternative routes available. Khandallah) did not regret coming into the city, but; the residents wanted fair treatment. Mi. Cornish concluded by handing in a petition signed by 406.people, objecting lo the new road as a road to Khandallah.

PROVISION IN THE FUTURE. j

In reply, tho Mayor "(Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P.) said the council, recognised the right of the ratepayers to express their views. Whenever ■ a new road or other sach proposal was brought' forward there was a lack of unanimity, amongst those a.ffected, and so far as he was concerned he would see in the futurethat every new road was properly specified when it wae put to th© poll of the. ratepayers:. (lAipplause.) The council had no "grouch" against Kha,ndallah, and in putting the road work in hand it had no idea of the views now expressed by the rnsidents. Ht admitted the justice of the complaint that there was no scavenging dump in the district, but th« difficulty was to find a suitable spot foi dumping. General Richardson : "On Homebush your Worship." Mr. Wright said he could not say as to that, but tho council hoped to soon solve the' problem. Preparation was now being made foi the proper water reticulation of the district, so that tho drainage system might be improved, but that could not be completed until tho Ororigorongo scheme had been put through. The„ Homebush es tate, when cut up, would bring in very satisfactory revenue to the council,, and this would perhaps enable the council at a later stago to provide another road to the district that would meet with the approval of the majority of the residents:

The deputation withdrew aft&r thanking the council for the attentive hearing given to their cace.