GREY COUNTY COUNCIL

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 October 1945, Page 3

GREY COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING A meeting of the. Grey County Council was held yesterday, z Cr. R. Clark presiding. Also present were Councillors W. Fisher, F. Donovan, J, Mulcare, T. G. Jamieson, J. W. Hannan, J. Ryan and A. McDonnell. Accounts amounting to £4,665/7/9 were passed for payment. The Public Works Department advised that the Council’s application for a grant in connection with the Ahaura River erosion at Drayton’s had been approved and a grant of £375 being on a £3 for £1 basis, had been made by the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council. In connection with the Council’s request for Government grants for the Mason Road extension and for the proposed bridge on- the MitchellsHaupiri Road near Inchbonnie, the Public Works Department advised that it was not possible to provide funds for them on the current year’s estimates. The Engineer (Mr. J. Higgins) said that the Council could do nothing further 1 in the face of a straightout refusal. The Public Works Department advised that representations had been made through the Minister of Transport (Mr. O’Brien) to the Minister of Works (Mr. Semple) for a bridge over the Crooked River at Te Kinga, the cost of which was estimated at £4,750, and asked the amount which the Council was prepared to contribute.

It was stated that the existing facilities were reasonable and members discussed the probable life of the timber-mills in the district and whether the land would be ultimately suitable for farming. It was decided that as there was no urgency in the matter, it be held over, while efforts be made to ascertain the orobable future of timbermilling in the district and the possibility of the land being taken for farming. An application by Mr. William McVicar, of Totara Flat, for a transfer of his slaughterhouse license to P. and J. Burrows (Burrows Bros.) of Totara Flat, was approved. /■A Closing Order in respect of a dwelling house and premises at South Beach was completed. The Moana Domain Board wrote in connection with an application, previously held over, for 3J chains of road additional in Taku Street and two chains in Korua Street. The Engineer, in reply to Cr. Hannan, said he thought the expenditure which would be about £l3O, would be justified.—The Engineer to make an inspection and report. Associated Gold Dredges (N.Z.) Ltd. applied for permission to carry on mining operations on the road fronting Section 41, Block 7, Mawheranui Survey District and between there and Red Jacks Creek.—The request was approved, subject to the conditions imposed by the Engineer. The Ngahere branch of the Farmers’ Federation wrote pointing out the : urgent need for an inspection of the ; Red Jacks area, owing to the liability of severe flooding due to dredging operations in the vicinity. The Engineer, said the Council had no power to interfere. In reply to Cr. Mulcare, he said that since the dredge commenced working more water was flowing down the creek, but there had always been trouble with the bank there. He did not know that the position had been aggravated. It was decided to notify the Federation that the Council had no power to act in the matter, except in giving permission to dredge on roads. Blackmun and Party, Ngahere, applied to have the Moonlight track widened as far as the traffic bridge, as it was intended to. commence coal mining operations in the vicinity. The"'Engineer said that about four miles of road would have to be constructed. He thought the matter should be referred to the Mmes Department. . , , , . ~ , It was decided to advise applicants , that it was not a matter on which the. Council could expend money, and recommend that they approach, the Mines Department.

BLACKBALL RATES The Acting Minister of Mines, Mr. O’Brien, forwarded a letter received from the Under-Secretary of Mines, Mr. C. H. Benney, m reply to correspondence by Mr. Higgins with reference to the payment of monies in lieu of rates at Blackball, and the provision of finance for the reconstruction and repairs to the water race at Blackball. He stated that he considered that the engineer had misconstrued the position. The question of payment of rates had been Government policy, and the Mines Department had. never opposed such payments on mining properties acquired by the Government from pnvate owners;. When the Government had taken over the mine, it had submitted that £520 yearly would be paid in lieu of rates, and that at the expiration of three years, the matter could be reviewed. He went on to submit that the County would have suffered a loss in revenue had the mine not been taken over by the Government and closed down by the company, and pointed out that the Department had made several grants towards street repairs and maintenance etc. The Engineer said that the latter ignored most of the points raised by him. It had passed them over and made no reference at all to them. He pointed out that nothing was paid to the County Council for the first two years, though Brunner Borough Council had .received payments:' Cr. Clark said Mr. Benney was used to dealing with unions, and was well versed in brushing little things , to a side. In this case he appeared to be trying to do the same, but the Council would not let up. The Engineer said he did not think that the first letter was written by Mr. Skinner, but by a clerk. Cr. Clark said he could not understand the matter. Mr. Benney had been in agreement with him in the matter of rates some time ago. The Government was frightened to open the door, said Cr. Mulcare. It would not pay rates on private dwellings and farming lands. It was left to the Engineer to pursue the matter further, also for the Chairman to take it up in Wellington. „ A letter was received from the Public Works Department in connection with the protection_ of a bridge across the Punakaiki River, stating that subsidy for £2OO on a £2 for £ 1 basis had been approved, the Department to provide £2OO, the Buller County £75, and tfie Grey County £2s.—This proposal was agreed to. ASSISTANCE APPLICATIONS The Engineer reported on several applications for assistance in repairing river erosion damage and protecting property referred to him. The case of Walker at Baker’s Creek, Barrytown, he said, concerned only a small area and he did not recommend the carrying out-of remedial work there. In connection with reported erosion. at Canoe Creek, the area inspected was not large, and the two settlers concerned, Stewart and Langridge, could' almost' fix it up by a few days work. In the case of A. Stewart, at Cape Terrace, about 7 acres of good land had been eroded, and a groyne formerly erected by the occupier’s father was doing good work, but required to be extended a further 50 ft. This would cost about £5OO and the capital value of the whole property itself was only £2BO. Cr. Mulcare said that a number of the applicants did not seem prepared to help themselves and two of them had not turned up to show the

engineer over the property when re quested to do so. He suggested that the matter be held over.—lt was decided to defer the matter, the engineer to investigate further. The Engineer also reported inai there were a number of strong bridges in districts where the traffic and population had fallen away. One at 8 mile, on the Paroa-Dungaville Road, and another at New River, Marsden, possessed stringers of iron bark and he suggested that a couple of. the spans be removed to strengthen other more used bridges. The timber from one bridge would strengthen four bridges for another 20 years.—Left to the engineer with power to act. In connection with the Lability to construct and maintain footpaths on State highways, the New Zealand Counties’ Association forwarded an opinion agreeing with the Main Highways Board’s view. The Engineer said that the Council could probably get a subsidy for the reconstruction of the footpath at Ahaura. , „ „ It was decided to ask the Board for a £ 1 for £ 1 subsidy for the work at Ahaura and also for tar-sealing at Blackball. Applications by New Forest Sawmilling- Company (2) and Ogilvie and Company for tramway crossings at Ngahere and Dungaville respectively were granted. The Treasure’s statement of receipts for period ended September 30, 1945 as follows was received, the estimates being in parenthesis: Rates (£10,589) £1,486; vehicle licenses ( £4000) £2420/8/10; sundry licenses (£400) £409/15/-; royalties and rents (£100) £3/10/-; sales and hire (£100) £205/16/11; refunds compensation (£250) £BO/3/10; main highways (£14,540) £1833 14/8; Government grants (£3258) £2OO/16/-; goldfields (£4000) £1634/14/-; “halves” and “thirds” (£550) £lB4/10/3; State forests £2700) —; employment scheme (£2400) £1034/8/2; sundries (£850) £265/1/-; total (£43,737) £9768/19/9.