Loan Proposals For Channelling and Kerbing Discussed

Lake County Mail, Issue 16, 10 September 1947, Page 1

Loan Proposals For Channelling and Kerbing Discussed

Time Was too short between now and the forthcoming local body elections in November to permit of a ratepayers’ poll being undertaken regarding a loan for kerbing and channelling about a mile of streets in Queenstown, it was decided at a meeting of the borough council last Thursday. Cr J. L. Lindsay had proposed that the sanction of the Government Loans Board should be secured and a poll of ratepayers taken at the November elections on the project as a guide for the incoming council. The council felt, however, that while the scheme was sound in many respects the sanction of the Loans Board and all other necessary detail could not be finalised before election day. It was suggested that the new council, if it favoured the scheme, could go into, these aspects. Qualified Engineer Necessary Putting forward his proposal, Cr Lindsay told the council that a qualified engineer would have to be secured for surveying and pin-pointing the streets to be attended to, Cr Lindsay set out his reasons in support of the scheme as follows; 1. Tt is desirable to have the footways kerbed and channelled in, keeping with the development of the town, and to provide the facilities necessary to give our pedestrians good walking conditions on the portion of roadway set aside for their use. 2. Provision of good footways will ■greatly minimise accidents caused through pedestrians walking on the trafflcable portions of our streets. 3. By raising the finance to carry out a full programme of footway and street improvement the work will be done with uniformity. 4. In raising the finance by way of loan the cost of such work is charged upon the generations of persons who will immediately benefit by such works. It is considered that a loan for concrete kerbing and channelling would be based on a 30-year term. 6. On the basis of a 30-year term, say, at 3J per cent, for a table loan the annual cost would be £54 10s per £.IOOO of loan, money. (Note: Many local authorities are now procuring finance at 3i per cent, for similar works). 6. The rights of the ratepayer are adequately guarded by reason of the fact that the steps to be taken prior to securing sanction for a loan are given wide publicity in addition to conducting a poll of ratepayers. Also, the engineering and financial aspects of the proposal are thoroughly investigated by the appropriate Government departments, 7. As it is estimated that the density of the tourist population over the period of one year is at least equal to if not greater than the permanent resident population, it is suggested that the Government be requested to subsidise the work to be undertaken and thus assist to maintain the facilities of the town to tourist-township standard. 8. As the proposal to kerb and channel footways is an integral part of the reading programme it is obvious that the preliminary survey must include the grading and re-alignment of the trafficable roadways with a view to later reconstruction and sealing.