GREYMOUTH BOROUGH COUNCIL HOLDS MONTHLY MEETING

Grey River Argus, 20 June 1947, Page 7

GREYMOUTH BOROUGH COUNCIL HOLDS MONTHLY MEETING

The Greymouth Borough Council held its monthly meeting last evening.

Present were the Mayor (Mr F. A. Kitchingham, and Crs G. R. Harker, J. E. Stokes, A. L McKay, J. B. Kent, P. Blanchfield, F. Boustridge H. Hutchinson. Apologies for their absence were received from Crs. T. Caldwell, and W. Herring. The Greymouth Harbour Board wrote seeking a review in the charge for water supplied shipping. It was stated the Board was faced with heavy expenditure on mains and valves etc. Under the present charges it would' not be possible for the board to make some provision to meet the added costs. —Referred to the Waterworks Committee and Engineer to confer with the Harbour Engineer. The Greymouth Fire Board forwarded estimates for the year 194748 and advised that the council’s contribution for the year was £’6so, an increase of £32 10s.

The Grey Main School committee wrote regarding Arbor Day celebrations, seeking information as to the form that they were to take and offering assistance. The Mayor said it was proposed to plant golden Cyprus trees between the higher' and lower roads (Paroa Road), at Karoro. Te Headmaster also wrote regarding the school patrols and sought permission for 'the operation of the necessary patrol in Tainui street.—Permitted.

The Commissioner of Transport, wrote thanking the council for its co-operation during the road safety week; also with regard to traffic problems. The Transport Department forwarded proposals for improvements for traffic generally and parking arrangements within the Borough, following the recent visit of officials. — Referred to Traffic Committee for consideration. A vote of thanks was accorded the Department for its valuable information.

Cr. Boustridge said the report vindicated the Engineer’s proposal to divide Tainui street with grass plots and trees in the centre, and provide a two-way traffic route. The Commissioner of Crown Lands advised that his Department was negotiating for the purchase of the arboretum of the R. and F. G. McMillan property, together with an adjoining area of 45 perches. It was decided to reply, indicating that the price offered was below the value represented by the arboretum. After discussion the matter was referred to a committee appointed in December io interview the Commissioner of Crown Lands. A ■ recommendation by the Reserves Committee that an application by Mrs L. Smith for a strip of Buxton Park be declined, was approved. When the application of D. C. Hodgkinson ’to erect a shed in Blake street, Blaketown, for the purpose of manufacturing joinery for his own house was considered, it was decided to adhere to the council’s previous ’ decision that a building would not be permitted larger than that specified in the permit as granted in the first place. ENGINEER’S REPORT. • < The Engineer (Mr. A(. J- Fairmaid), reported as follows: — Streets: The period has seen the completion of tar sealing operations for the season, works finally attended to comprising maintenance coating on roadways in Freyberg Terrace, and on portions of the footpaths on the north end and eastern sides of Lydia, Geraldine, Bidgood and Josephine streets. First coat sealing was done on the footpath on the north-eastern side of Ward Street from Sturge Street south-eastwards, on the same side oi Fox Street between Richmond and Blackett Streets, and on one chain of footpath on the south-eastern side of Richmond Street from Nelson Quay towards Peel Street. Upon completion of the above mentioned, attention has been given to the preparation of new footpaths, that on the south-western side oi Nelson Street, between Paroa Road and Milton Road having been completed ready for first coat sealing, like work now being in progress from the south-eastern end’ of the completed footpath on the northeastern side of Marlborough Streetnear Sinnott Road, the object being the completion of a path on the occupied side of Sinnott Road to Marsden Road, and also or both sides oi Eva and Elizabeth Streets. The footpath on the north-eastern side oi Marlborough Street between High and Cowper Street has been regraded and is almost ready for first coat sealing and similar attention is being given to the path along that portion of Cowper Street between Marlborough and Morice Streets. In the formation of the footpaths referred to in Nelson, Eva and Elizabeth streets, progress has been much improved by the employment of a power driven rotary hoe, the use of the machine having reduced construction time by at least one third. Under ordinary conditions it w.as hardly practicable to employ the machine for more than the first grubbing of the surface, but, the owner of the machine having had. to go elsewhere to perform work oi another character, the hoe was left in charge of one of the members of the Borough staff to use on Borough works an arrangement which has made it possible to use it at various times as the work proceeds. Towards the formation of Ward Street, near its junction with Dommett Esplanade the bull-dozer wa~ employed to obtain material from adjacent private lands which were thereby simultaneously levelled and improved for the owners whose fences have now been replaced. The formation work is not yet complete, the machine having had to be used for more urgent work for the Housing Department anad the Greymouth Trotting Club.

During the month use was made of a Pegson petrol driven road breaker to break through ten inches •or more of hard road crust in Guinness Street where gas main cleaning operations were in progress. By the use of the machine the crust was broken and removed in about three-quarters of an hour, whereas, after the machine had been dispatched for demonstration in Dunedin, the same progress could not be

made in less than two and” a-half nours. The Iloi.ard Rotary Hoe is priced at £2Ol, and the Pegson road breaker at £192 10s. Drainage: Repairs to the sewer in Shakespeare Street, near Heaphy Street, have been completed. Seven sewer connections have been made one in each of Marlborough and Cardwell Streets, two in Josephine Street and three in Monro Street. Five stormwater sumps with necessary connections have been made, one in each of Richmond, Gresson and Rochfort Streets, and two in Milton Road. In Monro Street ‘the 12-inch storm water sewer on the north-eastern side has been extended by the laying of 144 feet of 9-incn and 50 feet of 6-inch pipe to pick up house connections from three houses in course of erection there. In Bright Street at the intersection of Blackett S-treet, a 6-inch storm water drain has been laid across from the 12-inch drain on the south-western side to pick up a sump fo be constructed on the northeastern side of that street, southeastwards from Blackett Street and also one to be constructed by the P'ower Board’s Sub-station in the latter street.

Waterworks: The reservoir has been kept full by an average daily pump run of 20.5 hours. Concerning the report of th Dominion Laboratory on the sample of water taken on 22/4/1947, the analysis is given in parts per million. The accompanying letter draws attention to the possibility of ingress of set water which usually contains in excess’ of 1.5 pounds of common salt to the cubic foot or 24,000 parts per million. Were all the chlorine shown present as common salt the concentration would be but 460 parts per million of one live hundredth part of the contration in sea water, and it is unlikely, though hardly subject to proof, that all the chlorine is derived from in-gress of seawater. General. —Except for woodwork, the painting of the Social-room on the Library Wing was completed in time for the opening of the Sketch Club’s Exhibition. The conversion of the two rooms adjacent, to the So-cial-room for a flat for the Caretaker is well in hand. The slide formerly on the section at the corner of Flower and Blake streets, has been re-erected in Buxton Park. Spoil available from works in progress elsewhere is being used for the top dressing in Buxton Park and also for preparation of a lawn in front of the Blaketown School. The fencing of the Climatological Station in Shelley street has been completed and a screen with maximum and minimum and wet bulb therometers, has been installed. A rain-guage, too, has been put in, but it is of the daily cumulativve type and will be replaced later by a recording instrument from which the periodic intensity of rainfall may be determined'.

Town Planning.—The Council adopted the following recommendations of the Town Planning Committee: —-That Mrs D. Hansen be advised it is anticipated that noise iomplained of will cease as soon as the butchery business becomes established and that, with regard to the erection of a shed, steps will be taken to see that it is situated in accordance with' the Town Planning Code; That Mr J. Love be permitted to erect a motor garage at 108 Marsden Road, hut be refused permission to erect a building to accommodate a plumber’s and tinsmith’s shop or any similar trade workshop; That Messrs Molloy Bros., be advised that as the area in which they have their garage is a residential district nothing will be permitted which may develop into a factory; That approval be given to a sub-division submitted by Messrs Hannan and Seddon on behalf of Messrs Howes and Beresford, in Mil ton Road; That the application by Mr E. C. Hansen to erect a new building to replace that recently demolished on Section 337, Marlborough Street, be approved on condition that the maximum possible frontage to Marlborough street shall be given to the allotment of land upon which the dwelling is to be erected; That approval be given to Mr W. B. Crossan to add to the shop and dwelling on Section 57, at the corner of Bright and Cardwell streets, and to erect an outbuilding, all as shown on the site plan submitted; That permission be granted to Mr L. B. Davenport to complete Ihe closing in of the balcony over the verandah of Hogg’s Pharmacy, Mawhera Quay, but that the occupier be advised of the By-law in course ■of preparation whereby a rental will be charged for the right to maintain such a balcony; That the garage as erected by Mrs Rawcliffe on Reserve Area 15/21 Block 33, Bright street, be approved, in consideration of indefiniteness of tentative verbal anproval given for the work to proceed prior to approval of plans and specifications; That the following ’terns be provided for on Provisional Town Planning Map, No. 2:—-Wid-ening of Grogan Lane to at least forty feet; Roadway across the northern end of the Aerodrome from Preston Road to Water Walk; Roadway from the southern end of Mount Street 1o Freyberg Terrace (Town Belt North), approximately on the location of Spring street as shown on Borough Plans; Widening o< Heaphy street.