EAST COAST RAILWAY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 90, 29 March 1911, Page 7

EAST COAST RAILWAY

WAIROA-GISBOBNE ROUTE. An important pronouncement regarding the route was made by the Minister of Public Works to a Poverty Bay "Herald” represenla- 1 tive on the journey into Wairoa after the ride through had been accomplished. “I was very disappointed with the; nature of the country at the head of Te Arai and in the Mangapoike! from a railway construction point of view,” remarked Mr. McKenzie.! “This applies especially to Mangapoike. 1 had no idea it was so, broken. More exploration will have to be made before the route is definitely decided upon. I am going" to have the two other suggested ’ routes explored ; that is, the Han-! garoa route which comes out ne<.ri Gisborne, and the inland routed which continues up Hangaroa and \ joins the Gisborne-Motu line at: Waikohu. It was intended to turn the sod on the Gisborne south-! wards line and to commence work! from Gisborne as soon as the pres-: ent surveys were finished, in a: month or two, but this wil now have : to wait the result of the further’ explorations I have mentioned. ; From what I /.aw, without going’ down into the creek, it is going to be excessively expensive. The mile! and a quarter tunnel to start with j is an expensive item. It would cost < about £60,000, besides heavy work up to it, especially on the Te Aral side. That howevet, would not make the line prohibitive if there _is no easier alternative. I want you to understand I do not con- ' demn the Mangapoike route, but as a result of my visit I see we will have to have further exploration made to determine the best route.” ROUTES TO BE INVESTIGATED.

Replying to a deputation at Wairoa, the Hon. R. McKenzie said that he was not in a position to give them any definite reply as to which way the railway would go for certain. The Mangapoike route was very disappointing so far. Both routes would have to be very carefully examined before the Government would commit themselves to either route. As regards starting construction from Wairoa, he did not know how, under present conditions, it would be possible even to land a 50 or 60-ton locomotive. The distance was too small to start here. They were quite in a different position to Tauranga. At Tau ranga they could put the slpepers and rails from the direct boat right on to the wharf, but to start at Wairoa they would have to land it at either Napier or Gisborne. Regarding the Ruakituri proposal, Mr. Ormerod added that the line could follow the Ruakituri and join the Gisborne line at Rakauroa, Waikohu, or Te Karaka. The Minister: Rakauroa? We had enough work to take one line up there, and we don’t want another one. Mr. Ormerod pointed out thut to give a connection with the Gisborne line Mangapoike wou’u pr<» vide the most direct route. At this stage a plan of the district was produced and examined. The Minister repeated that he could not say anything definite. He would get Mr. Armstrong to make a report upon the whole subject. The Hangaroa would mean ten miles extra, which, in a country like this, was no easy matter. Mr. Armstrong, questioned by the Minister, remarked that he was acquainted with the locality, and he considered the Waikohu suggestion was out of the question altogether. They could get down from Hangaroa through Patutahi. That was the only connection there. The Minister: I will undertake to get a report and see what we can do.