MAIN HIGHWAYS

Kaikoura Star, Volume LVII, Issue 48, 17 June 1937, Page 3

MAIN HIGHWAYS

LARGER SHARE OF EXPENDITURE FOR SOUTH ISLAND. The South Island is to receive this year a greater proportionate amount of Main Highways Board expenditure than the North Island, according to a statement by Mr C. J. Talbot, a member of the board, at the annual meeting of the No. 13 District Highways Council in Christchurch on Tuesday. A total expenditure of £96,501, including £20,500 for improvements to the Picton-Christchurch highway and £lO,000, for road deviations at the Weka Pass, will be recommended to the Main Highways Board by the No. 13 District Highways Council. The actual allocation by the board for expenditure in the district is £50,000. The estimates passed by the council at its annual meeting on Tuesday provided for the following totals of expenditure in the counties in the district (Highway Board shares including amounts recoverable from counties): — Amuri County. Highways Total Local body’s Board’s recommended. share. share. £ £ £ 20,699 5,651 15,881 Cheviot County. 6,431 1,739 4,602 Kaikoura County. 2,774 692 2,082 Waipara County. 19,890 2,471 47,467 State Highways. 46,717 750 47,467 On the Amuri County estimates major items are £2500 for the Mason River bridge, £3360 for sealing part of the Waipara to Kaikoura road, between the Hurunui bridge and the Red Post. Major items in the Waipara County estimates are £lO,OOO for Weka Pass deviations and £1257 for sealing gaps on the Weka aPss. An appropriate sum of £20,500 is provided in the estimates for State highways for extensive improvements to the Picton-Christchurch main highway in Waipara and Cheviot Counties. The following portions of road were recommended as additional State highways: Cheviot County, Parnassus Loop Road (48 chains); Kaikoura County, Davidson’s Cutting (58 chains). Mr C. J. Talbot, a member of the Main Highways Board, who attended the meeting, said that the No. 13 district had the lowest allocation in the Dominion. It was “in the doldrums” to some extent. But the council could be assured that when the big pro gramme of wonks in the south was complete , the district would come into its own.