PIAKO COUNTY HIGHWAYS

Matamata Record, Volume XIX, Issue 1741, 22 June 1936, Page 6

PIAKO COUNTY HIGHWAYS

QUESTION OF UPKEEP Cr. Lowry’s Notice of Motion “ To give councillors a month in which to consider the matter, I will give notice of motion to move at the next meeting that the council take over all highways and declare them county roads,” said Cr. W. R. Lowry (Kiwitahi riding) during a discussion on roading costs at the June meeting of the Piako County Council.

At the previous meeting Cr. Lowry had raised the question of whether or not the time had arrived for the Piako County Council to abolish riding accouns, seeing that there had been for some years the same general rate in all but one of the ridings of the county. At the June meeting councillors commented on the recent announcement of the Minister for Public Works that the Highways Board would take over the maintenance of the main arterial roads, including 48 miles from Hamilton to Paeroa by way of Morrinsville and Te Aroha. Cr. Lowry said the Te Aroha - Hamilton highway had been cut out and perhaps next year another road would be cut out. It was hardly right that the ridings through which these highways passed should get all the benefit from the decrease in road maintenance which they would have to pay in future. The chairman (Mr. W. C. Kennedy) : If the Highways Board is going to take pver all the main arterial roads it alters the position a great deal. The Morrinsville, Waitoa and Waihou ridings are going to get all the benefit. Cr. Lowry added that the riding which <was being hardest hit w r as Tahuna, which would probably be last to get relief. Next year councillors would press for such roads as Morrinsville-Ngarua to be taken over, but it would be the roads carrying heaviest traffic that would get preference from the Highways Board. The three ridings through which the Hamilton-Paeroa highway passed would get £SOO benefit each a year in future, and would be in a position to reduce rates to that extent. The engineer: There is this aspect also, that the Highways Board, when it takes over these highways, will ’ build them up to a class 111. standard. \ Cr. Lowry then gave notice of motion as stated above. The clerk explained that the effect of declaring roads to be county roads would be that instead of allocating so much expenditure to each riding, the total sum available would be apportioned for the whole length of the road. Cr. W. F. Stark (Morrinsville): When you take over the main roads you have gone a long way towards the consolidation of riding loans. Why does your notice of motion not go the whole hog and take over all roads ? The chairman: You can give notice of motion to that effect. Cr. Stark did not wish to do so. He thought there would have to be a consolidation of county loans. “ I want to bring the matter to a head,” said Cr. Lowry, in explaining the reason for his motion. The chairman: Prior to our next meeting the Hon. R. Semple may be in the district, and he may be able to give us some information. Cr. Burgess: I cannot support the motion. There is no highway in the Te Aroha riding, and our main road is being threshed to pieces by carting metal to other ridings. The chairman said objections could be voiced at next meeting.