Awahuri Road Poser!

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 189, 12 August 1936, Page 3

Awahuri Road Poser!

THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR POSITION CLARIFIED Further reference to the proposed reconstruction and sealing of Awahuri road was made at yesterday's meeting of the Alanawatu County Council when Cr. D. W. Reid asked whether the chairman could inform the council whether the work would start in 1936 or 1937. Tho chairman (Cr. W. E. Barber) said that the council had been waiting for the authority for the ereceion of the stopbank to enable this flood prevention work to be undertaken before concentrating on Awahuri road. Actually it appeared though the authorities had been held up pending the presentation of the Budget. The county engineer (Air. H. V. Bond) said that the position was that £2OCO for preliminary work had been placed on the current year's estimates. The matter of tho survey of the road was one involving consideration of the flood waters to bo contended with and it may be a question of having to divert the road altogether. It was anticipated that it would not be until January or February before the first sod of tho new work was turned. The £2OOO on the estimates was thero in the event of the work being ready to start and as far as the speaker was concerned it would be January, 1937, before the work could be commenced. The chairman: And on that occasion wo will ask Cr. D. W. Reid to turn the first sod. Cr. Reid said that he had been approached by ratepayers in the Feilding area who desired to know when the work would bo put in hand. They were anxious to know whether it was to be this 4-ear or next year. The chairman said that the point at issue as far as the council was concerned was that the council was in a quandary about tho work. The authority had to come from Wellington and the council had gone as far as it could go. The council was prepared to get on with the job and when the time arrived for tho work to commence the council would be ready. He was pleased to know that Feilding was anxious to have the work tackled. Cr. J. H. Perrett suggested that Stewart’s line might be attended to pending the completion of the surveys for Awahuri road.

The engineer agreed that Stewart's line could be attended to without waiting for tho surveys for Awahuri road. And there was a stretch of Awahuri road, not affected by the flooding, which might also be tackled, suggested Or. Perrett. The chairman remarked that until the stopbank was erected and given a trial the council would not know where it was in regard to tho reconstruction of Awahuri road. Cr. Perrett: Well, the position is that we are only waiting for the authority to go ahead! “Yes,” replied tho chairman, “and you can tell the ratepayers that with our compliments. Wo are just as anxious to get on with the job as you are. If the Feilding ratepayers can go to Wellington and stir things up, ail the better.” The engineer said that some preliminary work had been done in anticipation of early authority being forthcoming. “Tho stopbank is not fixed up yet!” questioned Cr. Perrett. Replying in the negative, Air. Bond said that the work was all ready to proceed as soon as the authority was forthcoming. The chairman: “We are simply awaiting sanction to commence.”