EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 August 1929, Page 10

EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE

GREY COUNTY EXPENDITURE In response to a request by Mr. T. A. Johnson, District Engineer of the P.W.D. for an estimate of the cost involved in removing slips and effecting any other restoration work as a result of the earthquake, Mr. J. Higgins, Grey County engineer, submitted the following statement: —

Grey Valley—Taramakau Road —Between 243 mile and 251 mile on the Grey Valley—Taramakau Road up to date £463 17/7 has been expended in removing slips brought down by earthquake and the heavy rains that followed it. The road is clear and open but the hillside is broken and moving towards the road for a height of 200 feet above same. Heavy rain will probably land more slips on the road. It is difficult to estimate the probable cost at this place. I placed it originally at £6OO. Ngahere —Blackball. Road —Up to date £9B 2/11 has been expended in restoring the road on Cemetery Hill. A further £25 will make the road as good as before. Grey Valley Road—Slips occurred in all the gravel cuttings between Brunner and Big River and blocked the traffic. The sum of £l2O 15/10 has been expended in making the road passable. Much remains to be done on the Hill at Blackball Creek and .other places. The estimated, cost of work still to be carried out is £6O. Arnold Valley Road —The amount expended to date has been £39 5/3 and some £2O is still required to finish restoration.

Greenstone Road—The expenditure on restoration has been £l2B 9/11 and £l5 more would do all that is necessary.

Starvation Point Track —Removal of slips to date has cost £3O 17/- with a likelihood of a further £2O being required. Kamaka —No Town —A big slip at Cooper’s Bend has been made passable by a corduroy track over it at a cost of £9 13/9. To make a road as good as the old one will cost £4O more. Jetty at Mitchells, Lake, Brunner — The jetty was pushed out towards the lake so that the piers are about 12 inches out of plumb. One pier of piles was lifted up 8 inches and another sank 6 inches so that the deck is a switchback. Most of it would have to be pulled down to get' the structure into position as before, but partial restoration will do in this case, and can be carried out for £55. Damage on other roads did not exceed £lO in any one instance. This Council would be very grateful for any assistance the Public Works Department can render and would suggest a pound for pound subsidy.

Cr. A. Robinson referred to the fact that when the wharf at Lake Brunner was built the Tourist Department had subsidised the cost on a pound for pound subsidy, and he moved that application be made to the Department for assistance in repairing it. The motion was carried.

McVicar Bros., of Totara Flat, brought under the notice of the Council the damage done to the Clark Track by the earthquake. Slips had come down in several places completely blocking the track and to get to their property they had to put a man on to try to clear a track to get through. He had been on for a fortnight already but had not made much impression because as soon as he cleared away the stuff more came down and as far as could be seen it was going to be a long and costly job. Since the earthquake the track had been completely blocked. The Inangahua County Council -had asked for £lOO earthquake relief for the part of the track in that county. It would take about the same amount to repair the part in the Grey County. The correspondents would be grateful if the Council woulcj assist them as they were in a very bad way. There was no chance whatever of getting stores to the property and the ewes were due to lamb, but the owners were unable to be on the place to watch and attend to them.

Cr. McDonnell said that the men were really in a bad way and he moved that the matter of assisting them be left in the hands of the chairman and the engineer.

After Mr. Higgins had read his report up on earthquake damage he suggested that the best thing he could do would be to include the Clark Track in the list to be submitted to the Public Works Department for a pound for pound subsidy. Cr. H. G. Carter considered that, as the applicants lived a long way back they should be assisted right away, and he urged that the Council should go to the Department with a request that the track be made passable without delay. The engineer said that it would be well if local people could be engaged to do the work, as it would otherwise mean establishment of camps. The motion to apply to the Public Works Department for aid was then carried. .wn-'wrcwr"lt