BACKBLOCK WORK

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 58, 6 September 1938, Page 18

BACKBLOCK WORK

DEVELOPMENT FACTOR

The Minister stressed the importance of roads in the development of the country.

"Early last summer I announced that arrangements had been made for a special additional allocation of £500,000 for the purpose of extending road metalling activities during the year," he states. "These funds were made available purely for the metalling of roads in backblocks areas where settlers in many cases were still working their farms under access conditions which could only be considered as primitive. These people Were virtually still pioneering, and I can confidently claim that the plan instituted last year is the first real attempt which has ever been made to deal adequately with the difficulties and hardships of these unfortunate settlers.

"In all, an amount of £1,587,360 (gross) was available last financial year for the betterment and metaillng of country roads, and of this, a sum of £1,297,781 (gross) was expended. The actual net expenditure, after allowing for credits from other votes, was £1,126,757, as against £913,720 for the previous year. By the close of the season on June 30, 600 miles of settlement roads were formed, reformed, or widened, and 1006 miles were newly metalled, the corresponding figures for the preceding period being 465 miles formed and 792 miles metalled. Having regard to the fact that in practically all instances local authorities had not had an opportunity of budgeting for any extra large expenditure on settlement roads, of which they were, of course, required to find some part, I consider the season's results to be highly satisfactory. "A great deal of bridging and culverting was also done, some 123 new bridges, totalling 10,710 lineal feet, having been erected with grants or subsidies, and 71,570 lineal feet of culverts I installed. My own view in connection with the erection of new bridges is that structures should be in reinforced concrete wherever possible; as this form of construction gives greater permanency and better service with comparatively low maintenance costs. Local bodies have sometimes objected at first to insistence on the use of reinforced concrete, but careful examination of alternative designs has generally shown that, with the advanced methods now being adopted, there is no really great saving in cost by building in timber—that is, having regard to first cost, maintenance cost, and ultimate replacement. On consideration of these different aspects local authorities have been ready enough to agree in most instances that the reinforced-concrete bridge has definite financial, as well as practical, advantages. FLOOD DAMAGE. "As in previous years, local authorities have continued to. approach the Government for grants to assist with the cost of restoring flood damage, and where a full investigation of the circumstances has indicated that the counties concerned could not meet the full cost of repairs without financial embarrassment varying measures of assistance have been granted. Undoubtedly the disastrous floods on the East Coast caused the greatest damage during the year, and in each county it was necessary for the Government to afford some relief by making grants-in-aid. "The Western Hutt Road has been practically completed between Melling and Silverstream, and good progress is being, made with the erection of the large reinforced concrete bridge which | will carry the traffic across the Hutt River at Silverstream on to the existing main north highway to the Wairarapa. "The entire reconstruction 'of the Haywards-Pahautanui Road has been well advanced, and I have no hesitation in saying that the improvement over the road is really amazing. "Construction work on the Main South Road in "Westland has been continued vigorously during the year. The new steel suspension bridges over the Fox and the Cook Rivers have been completed, and of the 32 miles of road to be built between Weheka and Bruce Bay, 22 miles have now been constructed. Surveys are being made of I the road between Bruce Bay-Haast-j Jackson's Bay, and the construction has actually begun on the Jackson's Bay end, where a wharf is also being erected. The large works on the Haast Pass Road from the Cold Lakes District to South Westland, and on the Hollyford to Lake McKerrow Road, have progressed steadily during the year. "In the King Country work on the Taumarunui-Tokaanu Road, giving a direct connection from Taumarunui to Lake Taupo, and on the Waiouru-To-kaanu Road, giving a direct north-south route on the eastern side of the mountains Ruapehu; Tongariro, and Ngauruhoe, Has been continued steadily. "The new road, known as Coronation Drive, on the Waitakere Ranges at Auckland has been partly completed, and has proved so popular with motorists that complaints have been made regarding the insufficiency of parking space." ______„___»»