No Borough Aid For Maunu Cemetery Road

Northern Advocate, 8 October 1941, Page 2

No Borough Aid For Maunu Cemetery Road

Inability owing to finance to accede to a request by the Whangarei County Council to contribute half the cost of widening and improving the Maunu Cemetery road was decided by the Whangarei Borough Council at its monthly meeting last evening. A deputation from the county council, comprising the chairman (Mr. J A. S. Mac Kay) and the riding member (Mr. R. Feaver) .waited on the borough council and made representations regarding the sharing of the cost. Reverse Position : ’I feel in a peculiar position tonight,” said Mr. Mac Kay. “I think it should be the other way about, as the borough council wants something from the county council while the county council does not want anything from the borough council.” Voices: That’s good news. The borough council had asked the county council to put the road to the cemetery into a reasonable state of repair, continued Mr. Mac Kay. The county council realised that it had a responsibility in keeping its roads in repair, but this road served the Maunu cemetery, a fact whch placed it in a different category. Two Proposals Tar-sealing of the road, providing a parking area and making other improvements. was estimated to cost £IOOO, but this was not thought necessary. and the county council was prepared to repair the road at a cost estimated at £3OO, providing the borough council would meet half the cost. ‘‘lt is not unusual to ask those who cause extra traffic to contribute towards the cost of upkeep, said Mr. Mac Kay, who poined out that the county council had contributed in the provision of a footpath at the Whangarei Hospital, because it realised it would be serving the county as well as the borough. Expenditure on the road would be small if it were not for traffic to the cemetery. Riding Funds Insufficient It was necessary that the road should be kept in better repair but, as ihe riding member, he had not sufficient funds to bring it up to the standard desirable, said Mr. Feaver, supporting Mr. Mac Kay’s remarks. In reply to Cr. J. G. Draper, Mr. Mac Kay said that the' estimate of £3OO provided for widening the road and for filling in two corners. To Cr. D. J. Thomson he said he did not think it was necessary to carry out the sealing proposal at a cost of £IOOO. 'The council decided that it was unable to finance a contribution of haii ihe cost of improving the road. \