PUBLIC WORKS

Northern Advocate, 25 October 1929, Page 4

PUBLIC WORKS

ITEMS FROM THE ESTIMATES,

A perusal of the Public Works Estimates for the year 1929-30 discloses flic following::—

Provision is made for the transfer of £200,000 to the Main Highways Account Construction Fund.

The sum required for the OkalhauRangiahua railway construction is £170,000. The cost of this work when authorised in 1920 was £390,824 and the total spout to March 31, 1929 was £420,893. It is estimated that it will cost £246,750 to complete this work. It is expected that this job will cost 80 per cent, over the estimate owing to treat-herons ground. The sum of £160,000 is required for tho Dargavillc railway. In 1924, the cost of tho line was set down at £441,000 and it is considered that another £278,250 will be required to complete. The total spent to March last was £203,251. The vote for the Stratford-Main Trunk railway is set down at £426,000. This work, authorised in 1901, was to cost £1,575,000 but to March last £1,306,769 had been spent and it is regarded that another £735,000 will ho . equired to complete tlie line.

For the South Island main trunk railway completion tho sum of £45,000 is asked for. The estimated total cost is £2.415,000 and £45,016 has been spent.

Tlu 1 amount required for the purchase of permanent way materials for railway purposes is stated to be £sn,ono.. The net amount necessary for additions to open railway lines is £554,839.

Requirements under the heading of public, buildings for the current year will absorb £413,500. Included in this item are: Courthouse, Maungntnroto, £1250 and Whangarei Post Office additions (on account of £8300) £SOOO.

Another £IOO Is asked for on aeount of the automatic light at North

Cape. A £ for £ subsidy for the Tutukaka Wharf is provided in the sum of £SOO.

The amount required for, the development of tourist resorts this year is stated to be £36,000. Votes a«ked for in connection with reading, drainage and improvement of Crown Lands in the Whangarei County are:—Kaitara (on account £750) £300; Otaika (on account £500) £250; Waipn (on account £500) £250.

Construction and maintenance of roads and bridges throughout the Dominion will require the sum of £990,000 to be voted.

Under the heading of telegraph extension the Minister Is asking for a total vote of £600,000, of which amount approximately £465,000 is required for the construction and equipment of telephone exchanges.

Improvement of drainage in the Kaihu S.D., block IV. is set down at £12,000 (on account £17,000), A vote of £4OOO (on account £7000) appears against land compensation and water supply in connection with the Kaitaia Drainage scheme. The sum of £760 is asked for in connection with reclamation of the sanddune area at Waipu.

The requirements of the Electric Supply Account will absorb £1,124,000. The biggest votes under this heading are: Arapuni, £226,000 and Waitaki River scheme £488,000,

Main Highways throughout the Dominion arc estimated to absorb £1,200,000. The vote for North Auck land under this heading is stated at £142,492. The Railways Improvement vote totals £1,615,183. Included in this amount is the new station, AucVland, £440,000; Westfield deviation, £108,000;, Wellington-Tawa Flat deviation, £250,' 000; locomotive workshops, £357,000. The amount required for the Hikurangi Drainage area is £36,000 and for Kaitaia, £17,000.