GREY BOROUGH COUNCIL

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 May 1942, Page 2

GREY BOROUGH COUNCIL

LAST EVENING’S MEETING. The Greymouth Borough Council held its monthly meeting last evening; present: The Mayor (Mr. F. A. Kitchingham), Crs. H. Herring, J. B. Kent, G. Pv. Harker, J. Saunders, C. Neville, G. M. Truman, P. BlanchHeld, junr., and F. F. Boustridge. The Grey Hospital Board, writing with reference to the proposed shelter at the bus stop near the hospital, again requested tnat it be erected. — Referred to the Works Committee. The Hospital Board also wrote regarding the connection of the inch water-main to the hospital grounds, stating that Ministerial consent had been given, and adding that the Board would accept the Council’s offer to do the work at cost.The Engineer said that -the P J P? S were expected at the end of this month, but delivery was subject io Defence orders. It was decided io treat the matter as urgent, as soon as the pipes arrive. zv lot+er was received irom the Technical High Schodl Board, which requested the use of the Recreation Ground for football matches during the week. —Permission was granted. The Greymouth Municipal Band forwarded its balance-sheet for 1941-42, and it was approved. The application ol Ron Mclntosh for an extension of his driving license to include taxi work, was approved. The following letters were referied to the Works Committee: R. Seddon: Complaint regarding flooding of his land and garden by water from the regraded roadway leading to the Grey Hospital. Blake town-Preston Road Ratepayers’ Association: Request for numbering of houses in the vicinity of Blake and Reid Streets, and erection of street name-plates. Filling in of depression in Doyle Street. Stormwater drain flooded in Preston Road. Uneven footpath in Preston Road from railway bridge south. Bridging of kerbing on footpath at intersection of Blake and Robinson Streets. Westland Laundry, Ltd.: Condition of road in Gresson Street in front of company’s premises; also at turn-off from Gresson Street to road at side of premises. B. Marley: Dangerous state of drain and footpath at the side entrance to his residence at the corner of Bright and Cardwell Streets, Cobden. An application by Mrs. McGlashan. of the Premier Garage, to extend a garage in Clifford Street, Cobden, to provide accommodation for two buses instead of one, was granted, subject to conditions to be imposed by the Works Committee.

FLOODING OF PROPERTIES. Writing on behalf of Miss A. C. Volheide, Messrs Joyce and Taylor referred to the flooding 01 her property in Shakespeare Street, due to the lowering of the footpath, and requested that the soil be replaced and the fence reinstated.—Cr. Herring moved that Miss Volheide be granted £2 as compensation for damage done, the grant to be without prejudice. The motion was seconded by Cr. Kent and supported by Cr. Blanchfield, but it was defeated. A reply is to be sent, stating that the Council decided to take no action. i J , Mr. E. B. E. Taylor wrote on behalf of Mr. Arthur Hill, with reference to the slip near his property, on Tindale Road, and requested the Council to take immediate remedial steps. It was contended that the action of the Council, in side-tracking the flow of water, had endangered Mr. Hill's section. —It was decided to reply thai, in the opinion of the Council, nothing had been done by the Council that would endanger or prejudice Mr. Hill’s property. A complaint was received from the Blaketown-Preston Road Ratepayers' Association regarding the flooding at the intersection of Blake and Ryan Streets, after heavy rain, it being stated that the footpaths in front ol Johnston’s store and the Blaketown School were covered with water to a depth of several inches. It was stated that. 12 months ago, the Chairman of the Works Committee promised that the matter would be attended to without delay. An adequate stormwater drain is now .requested.—-Re-ferred to the Engineer for attention. Mr. Fairmaid stated that there was a pipe under the road, but it became blocked. It was all right when cleaned out previously. Mr. W. P. Hambleton wrote regarding the flooding of his property in Alexander Street, stating that a complaint was made in March, 1938, but so far nothing had been done to remedy the trouble.—The Engineer estimated ihe cost of remedial measures at £903 or £lO6B, according to the size of pipes. The Mayor said that the work could not be done without a loan. On the motion of Cr. Harker, it was decided to consider the matter when the estimates are being framed. There was every probability that the preliminary estimates would be ready for the next meeting, said the Mayor.

ENGINEER'S REPORT

The Engineer (Mr. A. J. Fairmaid) reported as follows: Streets: Footpaths in Holland Settlement have been regraded and metalled as required and have received the first coat of tar to hold them and control the weeds until they can be finally sealed next season. Such treatmcntof these paths is a different matter to similar treatment given to entirely new paths as these have been under consolidation for up to a couple of years, or more. Following a request by N.Z. Railways to do up the Department’s portion of Tarapuhi and Albert Street railway crossings, the whole of the approaches to these have been taken in hand and the cost will be apportioned after work in hand on Nelson Street crossing has been completed. To minimise the immediate ‘danger to nearby property, portion of the snoil from the slip on to Tindale Road'was removed and a close watch is being kept. ~ 2 Sewerage Loan Works: Immediately the embargo on cement was lifted, <he men engaged upon the main sewer across Erua Moana were requisitioned for military and civil defence works and work meanwhile 'is therefore at a complete standstill except for some work required to complete the independent septic tank system serving the isolated group of houses in Preston Road adjacent to Arney Street bridge. Drainage: A sewer connection'has been put in in Marlborough Street and the sewer extension authorised in Marsden Road at the last meeting of the Council is nearing completion. Waterworks: By the laying of portion of the water main required for extension of the reticulation system in Marsden Road the required service has been given, 372 feel of 4in fibrolite main having been laid, but completion of the work awaits the coming to hand of pipes now on order. To facilitate practice by the Cobden Fire Brigade a fire plug has been connected np in the Cobden School ground. The reservoir has been kept full by an average daily pump run of 14.25 hours. General: A new door has been made and erected at the entrance on the eastern side of the main entrance to the Town Hall. -Formation is in hand of a roadway to afford access to the last acquired southern extension of the Cemetery. Cr. Blanchfield said that a splendid job had been made of the, railway crossings, and he asked whether those at the Cobden bridge could also be clone. —The Engineer said that it would be a constant job, owing to the amount of traffic, and he would rather leave it to the Railways Department. The annual report of the Engineer,

reviewing operations during 1941-42. was received. In dealing with sewerage loan works, the report stated that all work on the eastern side of Karoro Lake has been completed, and sewage eliminated from the lower reaches of Sawyers Creek. The main outfall sewer across Karoro Lake has. been completed, except for the crossing of the main channel. In Erua Moana lagoon, the work is three-fourths completed. Meanwhile, all work has had to be suspended, consequent upon tim men employed having been requisitioned for military and civil defence works.

GASWORKS REPORT The Gasworks Manager (Mr. Fairmaid) reported that the total cash receipts for April were £1,121/11/8, compared with £1,107/12/5 for the corresponding month last year. Applicances sold comprised two combinations, five ordinary cookers, and six fires. There has been no extension to the main reticulation system, but services to consumers have accounted for 61 feet of lj” and 158 feet of 1' pipe. With the approach of Winter the demand for gas is increasing. Five beds of retorts are again in full operation an? the sixth is ready for use when required. Investigations undertaken to accounts for small irregularities in pressure at the outlet to the reticulation system revealed the governor to be out of level. The trouble is not sufficient yet to affect supply to consumers,. but will be (corrected early after the seasonal high demand has gone off, as correction under such conditions would be somewhat difficult.