BRIDGING THE WAIMATA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3713, 24 December 1912, Page 5

BRIDGING THE WAIMATA.

SHOULD THE NEW STRUCTURE CONTAIN A SWING?

BOROUGH TO PROVIDE OXIS LATER IF IT BE FOUND NECESSARY.

•At yesterday’s meeting of the Harbor Board, a plan was received from the Borough Engineer of the bridge which the Council proposes to erect over the Waimata River, from Rutene Road to Ormond Road, showing eight. 35ft. spans, with skew piers. r lhe Chairman (Mr John Townley) presented the plan and invited the Board to discuss it. Mr White said it was unsatisfactory to receive the plan at the eleventh hour. If,, they allowed this bridge to be put in without a swing, then they could not call on the Borough to put in a. swing higher up. The chairman said the fixed bridge at Nelson Bros.’ was erected on the condition that an opening would be provided at any time necessary. Mr Clark thought that permission might be granted for the present bridge on the same conditions, any future opening to be made at the Borough’s expense. The Chairman suggested that permission should be granted, provided nobody wanted a swing in the bridge j at present and that if a swing were wanted in future, the Borough would cover the expense. It was finally decided that the Board should approve of the plan, subject to details of the plan being approved bv the Board’s Engineer and provided that if an opening for river craft be required at any future time, such opening shall be provided and worked at the cost of the Borough Council. A QUESTION OF AUTHORITY.

Correspondence regarding the bridge question, which was read at the recent conference, also came before tlie Harbor Board yesterday. Tlie Chairman remarked that the Marine Department had not yet approved of any plans for a traffic bridge over the Waimata River and Mr Paterson, Borough Engineer, had that morning produced to the secretary a plan of the proposed Ormond Road bridge, and that was on the table.

! _Mr Brown remarked that the position was unsatisfactory as to the Board’s jurisdiction in "regard to the bridges. The Chairman remarked that the following letter, from the Marine Department, put the position pretty plainly: “I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 19tli nit. with reference to the question of the construction of certain bridges over tidal waters which are under the control of your Board, and in reply to state that. in such cases where the foreshore is not vested in the Board the law does not make it compulsory tliat the Board should be consulted before the approval of the plan; but it is always the practice of this Depart- , ment to do so, and should any of the local bodies in your district propose to construct bridges over rivers under the control of your Board that body’s opinion would be asked before the plans were submitted to the Governor-in-Council for approval. As regards the proposal of the Borough Council to erect a traffic bridge over the Waimata river, I may state that no plans for the bridge have yet been submitted to this Department', hut should they come to hand your Board will be before they are dealt with. The oidy bridge over that river which has been authorised is the drainage swing bridge, which was approved on 16th May, 1911, and the then secretary of your Board stated in his telegram to me of the 29th April 1911, that the Board approved of the plans of this bridge.” The Secretary : If the bridge crosses on our foreshore, given to us under Crown grant, legally no bridge can he put across without our consent. Hie Marine Department, in the letter referred to, says that it will not grant consent for a bridge over the tidal waters of the Waimata, without our approval.

Mr Brown: And yet the Borough Council obtained permission to erect the McLean Street—Hura Hura bridge. Dr. Collins said that he had no doubt this record could be found at the Borough Council office. He believed that the Board had full control so far as the river was navigable. Mr Brown said he merely wished to have the matter clear and the Board did not discuss it further.