TAR-SEALING

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 92, 16 October 1934, Page 11

TAR-SEALING

PETONE STREET POLICY

A discussion took place at the meeting of the Petone Borough Council last evening on the question of the tarscaling of streets, and the council's policy in that respect. Mr. H. Turner, of- Adelaide Street, wrote as fojlows:—"Some years ago now, I remember the then council deciding to tar-seal the streets aud do them in the order in which they were originally'made,'but I have noticed lately that after doing the older part of Petone, Victoria Street, Richmond Street, and Sydney Street down to Beach Street, "they have skipped Queen Street, which should have been done, and gone over to the other side of Jackson Street, and continued with some of the latest streets .in Petone._ Now I see the council men on Patrick and Jessie Streets, digging up old kerb chains and putting in new ones, while Queen Street, Tory Street, and Adelaide Street, and Aurora Street, which are very much older streets, are left with weeds growing in the gutters. In the above-named streets are some of the oldest ratepayers in Petone, it being a block of land that was cut up just after the Queen and Buick Streets blocks. In respectfully drawing the council's attention to the above facts I would like to hear of some line of policy laid down as to the way of working and what it is proposed to do in the future in regard to Queen, Adelaide, and Tory Streets." The- Mayor (Mr. A. Scholefield) said that the service life of tar-sealing was five years, and when that period was passed, if a street did not receive attention, it might have to be regraded. In the near future the council would have to consider ceasing to do new streets for a period, aud try to put the other streets in order. The whole position could be considered when the estimates were being framed. Councillor E. N. Campbell urged that, steps be taken to abate tho dust nuisance in certain streets.

The chairman of tho works committee (Councillor V. A. Noble) stated that some of the newer streets carried more traffic than the old, and when potholes ivere formed the committee, sooner than let the surface go back, in some cases tar-sealed the streets. The policy of the council was eventually to tar-seal the streets in the whole of tho borough. It was only a matter of timo beforo' the council would have- to go back over all the streets and give them a fresh coat.

Councillor G. London said that it was rather doubtful if the council was doing the right thing in tar-scaling. It would mean a considerable increase in rates if, after tar-sealing all the streets, there was a very high maintenance cost attached to them. It would perhaps be better to give a better general maintenance to the streets. The discussion lapsed.