LONG RETARDED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20568, 30 May 1941, Page 10

LONG RETARDED

DEVELOPMENT OF MAHIA LACK OF ROADS PROPOSALS OUTLINED (Special to the Herald.) WAIROA, this day. “The extent of new work to be undertaken during the current year will depend largely upon the amount of Government subsidies made available, but it is hoped the council will be able to proceed even with a restricted programme of new metalling," said the chairman of the Wairoa County Council, Mr. A. T. Carroll, when outlining the works programme for 1941-42 in his report on the administration of county affairs at the annual meeting. The chairman said that everything was in readiness lor proceeding with construction work during the 1941-42 season on the Kopuawhara-Mahia road, which gave access to the Mahia Peninsula from Op'outama and with the access road on the peninsula itself.

“Difficulties,” he said, “were encountered in both instances in determining the best route to adopt, the necessity for completing legalisation of deviations also holding up the work.” Metalling of Worst Portions

In the case of the access road on the peninsula, arrangements, said the chairman, had been made -to give access for the present by way of the Parakawai road through Mr. G. E. Ormond’s property as far as the main junction by metalling the worst portions on the steep sections, and by. erecting a temporary bridge across the Whangawehi Stream. .The cost of work on this length, which was not on the permanent route adopted, would be borne by the council entirely. The section from Wainui junction to Bartletts was part of the permanent access and would carry a subsidy of £1 for £l, and work on this section would proceed simultaneously so that before the winter of 1942 the peninsula would be served by an excellent road as far as Bartletts. Construction work on the permanent route between the Whangawehi bridge and the Wainui junction could very well stand over until after the war, when arrangements would have to be made for. financing the cost and conditions would be likely to be more favourable for completing this section. “The development of the peninsula lands,” concluded the chairman, “has long been retarded through want of proper roading facilities, but with the completion of the work now proposed large areas of first class land will be opened up, and I know of no other district in the county likely to show greater development and increased production than the Mahia lands in the next few years, now that provision has been made for good road access.”